Paradigm Puzzles are a series of six packing puzzles designed by William Waite and produced by Family Games America. I've been reviewing this series for a while, with already four of them reviewed, and today, it's time for the Tetrascales.

The Tetrascales is, like all of the puzzles in the Paradigm series, visually stunning with a beautiful symmetrical pattern. The effect is created by 9 pieces with different arrangements, but always with four segments, hence the name "Tetra". The board and pieces are made from laser-cut wood, with measurements of only 11.1 x 10.2cm (4.3" x 4") - This makes the puzzle very light to handle. I would've liked to see different wood colors for the frame and pieces to create a nice contrast, but it's still well made.

There are hundreds of possible solutions with the empty space in various positions, 354 of them to be more exact. However, only a fraction of them are possible with the hole in the middle. Can you find one? - This is actually quite a difficult puzzle to solve. Getting the hole anywhere on the frame is easy enough, but being able to get it in the center has proved to be an arduous task. The pieces are double-sided, unlike some of the other ones in the series, so you can choose which side fits with your arrangement.

Usually, when solving a packing puzzle you start by one of the edges and work your way to the opposite one. With this puzzle, however, the strategy to solve it is a little different. After several unsuccessful attempts, I had to come up with a different approach, and started to place the pieces around the center towards the edges. Starting from the edges and hoping for the best as you approach the center is definitely not the best way to go about it, so after a while I was finally able to succeed.

This is a level 8/10 puzzle, and judging by the number of unsuccessful attempts, I'd say it's about right. You can start by getting the hole in different places around the frame to better understand how the pieces interact, and when you feel ready to tackle a more challenging objective, go for it. The puzzle comes packaged in a different solution other than the hole in the middle, and without providing you with a solution, you really need to solve it if you want to see it in its intended state.

Closing Comments:

The Tetrascales is yet another fascinating puzzle by William Waite and a deserved member of the Paradigm Puzzles family. The high number of possible solutions ensures you can keep playing with it for a long while, even after you find the solution for the hole in the middle. A must-have for packing puzzle fans.

Availability: You can find the Tetrascales at PuzzleMaster as well as the rest in the Paradigm Puzzles family.

The Sequencer is the fourth puzzle I'm reviewing from the Paradigm Puzzles collection by Family Games America. This series of six Packing Puzzles are all designed by William Waite, and feature some of the most mesmerizing patterns you'll ever see in mechanical puzzles.

Like all the puzzles in the series, the Sequencer is laser-cut, made from plywood, so all pieces can fit perfectly in the frame. Not the best of qualities for a puzzle, but the result is still nice and makes it very affordable. The size is about the same as the others, with a diameter of 10cm (3.9").

While not as visually elegant as the previous three (Celtic Knot, Interlace Square and Interlace Diamond), the striking symmetry of the overall pattern in the Sequencer is still quite impressive. When solved, the twelve dissimilar pieces will form a pattern showing thirteen holes, so keep in mind the area will not be completely occupied. Also noticeable is that four of the thirteen holes located in the center are slightly bigger than the rest. The pieces, unlike the previous puzzles in the Paradigm series, are double-sided, so you can place them on which side you think it's best.

As far as difficulty goes, this one's the easiest from all six. And judging by the rated difficulties of the others (I still have two left to try), it should be a walk in the park to solve with a level 4/10 (6/10 by PuzzleMaster's rating system, which only goes from 5 to 10). After solving it within 5 minutes, I have to agree with this level. Although at first sight the puzzle appears to be a little complex, the main reason why it's easy to solve is because of its multiple solutions.

Closing Comments:

With so many different arrangements, and with double-sided pieces, there's not really much to keep you challenged for long. Still, the Sequencer is quite enjoyable to solve and you can always try other solutions for a different experience every time. I recommend this one for beginners or if you're looking to complete the series of six.

Availability: You can purchase the Sequencer at PuzzleMaster, as well as the other five in the Paradigm Puzzles Series.

This is my third review for the Paradigm Puzzles collection, manufactured by Family Games America and designed by William Waite. The collection features six packing puzzles, each with a beautiful pattern and complex geometry.

This time I chose the Interlace Diamond, based on an Arabic pattern. The puzzle consists of 12 different laser-cut pieces that need to be packed inside the wooden frame. Actually, they don't need to be packed, because the puzzle is shipped in its solved state. It's not a major spoiler, though, because you can't see the outline of each individual piece. It's up to you to find the courage to remove the pieces and try your luck.

When solved, the appearance of the puzzle is rather attractive. The pattern is comprised by hexagon shapes repeated throughout the frame and overlapping each other in about 45 degrees creating this mesmerizing mesh of interlacing lines. The pieces are a bit on the small size, but I'm sure you won't have any problems packing them. The tray measures about 11cm in diameter (4.3").

The Interlace Diamond is quite a difficult puzzle to solve. It's rated as a level 8/10 and from what I experienced it's just about right. As you can see from the photo below the pieces are cut in very odd shapes and this makes your task quite challenging. The first part is to correctly place the first piece. While this sounds like a simple thing to do, it's actually a bit tricky to get a feel for the correct orientation of each piece. By the way, the pieces can only be used on one side, since the backside does not feature the same markings found on the opposite one. It's because of these markings that it's extremely difficult to see the outline of the pieces when the puzzle is on its solved state.

After you get the first couple of pieces seemingly correctly placed, the puzzle will get progressively easier. On a side note, I say "seemingly", because it might happen that your first pieces, while fitting correctly in the tray, may not belong there, and you need to swap them with other ones. Assuming you got the first pieces right, it's just a matter of persistence and patience until you manage to solve it. It took me about half an hour to finally place the 12 pieces on the frame. Excluding rotations, I believe this has a unique solution.

Closing Comments:

William Waite is a great craftsman, and the Paradigm Puzzles are a great example of his magnificent work. Although the Interlace Square is still my favorite in the collection, the Diamond is a close second. If you can, and if you're into packing puzzles I really recommend the whole collection - It's worth every cent.

Availability: The Interlace Diamond, as well as the other five in the collection are available at PuzzleMaster for $18 CAD each, with a couple of them only at $15 CAD.

At the end of last year, I reviewed a very interesting packing puzzle, the Interlace Square, which is from an impressive series, the Paradigm Puzzles, by Family Games America. These are actually designed by a very talented puzzle craftsman, William Waite. The new puzzle from the series that I'll be reviewing today is the Celtic Knot, another brilliant design.

The Celtic Knot has more similarities with the Interlace Square than any other puzzle in the Paradigm series. The overall appearance of both patterns do have some similarities, but the Interlace Square is inspired by Arabic patterns, whereas the Celtic Knot - you guessed it - is inspired by Celtic shapes. The pieces are also quite alike, reminiscent of some kind of ancient alphabet, although the Interlace Square has slightly more curved pieces. All Paradigm Puzzles are precision laser-cut - A requirement for this type of puzzles - and they measure about 10 x 10cm (4").

(Click to Enlarge)

Like any other packing puzzle, the object is to remove all pieces from the tray and then pack them all inside again. What makes these puzzles rather challenging, however, is their complex shapes. It's just very hard, once the pieces are all mixed up, to remember what exactly the puzzle looks like in its solved state. I would suggest you take a picture of the solved puzzle before you remove all of its pieces - That way you can always turn to it if you find yourself stuck.

PuzzleMaster rates all Paradigm Puzzles as a 7/10 level of difficulty, but in my opinion some are harder than others. In fact, all puzzles come with a guide that shows the level on each of the six puzzles and they do vary in difficulty. For example, the Interlace Square is actually the harder in the series with a level 9/10 and the Celtic Knot has a level of 7/10. This is more accurate, and I totally agree, because I found the Celtic Knot a few notches below in terms of difficulty. It took me about half an hour to build the pattern again, although it's the one with more pieces, 16 of them.

Like the Interlace Square, the Celtic Knot also has one-sided pieces. This is noticeable by the lines that cross the pieces, which depict the actual knots. Not having to use both sides of the pieces can make it easier, but note that in all 16 pieces, no two are alike. The hard part is placing the first few pieces in the frame, but once you get some of them right, it does get easier. After you find a solution, you still have something left to do, because the puzzle has two dissimilar solutions.

(Click to Enlarge)

Closing Comments:

The Interlace Square is still my favorite in the series, but I really enjoyed the Celtic Knot as well. It's quite challenging to solve, especially if you're a novice, but it's a great puzzle to look at and a must-have for any collection.

I feel a little upset with my copy, though. Strangely enough, it came a little warped, as if it were being stored close to a heat source. The wood used is apparently fragile, so not much was needed to make some damage. Not sure if this was caused in transit or not, but it's strange nonetheless. The actual puzzle was still solvable, but as a collector, you like all your puzzles flawless, no matter what...

Availability: As of the time of writing, the Celtic Knot is currently out of stock at PuzzleMaster, but check back again soon, as they restock often. If you like this type of puzzles, you can take a look at the others in the series.

I don't know why, but I love laser-cut puzzles. Maybe it's because of their precision cut lines and beauty of the small pieces, which is harder to achieve with other types of puzzles. My latest acquisition deservedly falls into this category.

The Paradigm Puzzles are a really nice small collection of six wooden Packing Puzzles by Family Games America and designed by William Waite. They are beautifully laser-cut into these intricate patterns and vary in difficulty. The one I have, Interlace Square is based on an Arabic pattern and it's the hardest of the six (classified as 9/10).

The puzzle comes with its own 10.8 x 10.8 cm (4.25") tray with 13 pieces, all different from each other. This adds an extra degree of difficulty, as you can't separate them into similar groups. Even though it's hard to solve, there are numerous possible solutions. Finding one may be the trickiest part, though...

I suggest that you spend a couple of minutes just to study the puzzle in its solved state, before dumping the pieces on the table. When you first attempt to solve the puzzle, it's hard to visualize the whole pattern, so that's why it's better to know how the puzzle looks like when solved. You do have a picture of the puzzle, engraved on the back of the tray, but this becomes hard to look at when you're putting the pieces and attempt to flip it.

There's a few tips you can use to solve the Interlace Square: 

- One of them is that each piece appears to be usable on both sides, but that's actually not true. Only the front side of a piece is valid, because the backside doesn't have the lines of the pattern engraved on it, so that's half of the possibilities cut down.

- Another small detail on the pieces that you can take advantage is the natural lines on the wood, which are well defined straight lines and will help you figure out the correct orientation, which will be just two instead of four. If you're stuck and want to find and easier solution, you can disregard this.

The puzzle took me a good 40-45 minutes to solve. Placing the first piece was the hardest part, but after that, you begin to understand how the pieces connect to each other and the rest will follow in no time. I had to solve it a second time later, after I took the pieces again to take pictures and this time around, it was much faster at about 10 minutes. Not bad for a second try...

The Interlace Square is not only a beautiful puzzle to look at, but a good challenge as well. The complex lines on the pattern are what makes it so difficult and at the same time, really fun to solve. Recommended for the Packing type enthusiasts.

The Paradigm Collection can be found at SeriousPuzzles.com for a reasonable $14.95 USD.

Optimal Tumble

Built in 2009 with red alder and walnut wood, this is one of my favorite William's work, alongside the Celtic Knot, though I don't own it (yet), I love its brilliant design.


With twelve pieces, divided into three types, you have to make shapes (preferably symmetrical) with the space unfilled by the pieces. This happens, because the area that the pieces occupy in the tray are smaller than the total area, leaving room to make all kinds of shapes with the hole left over by the piece's arrangement. All three types of pieces are symmetrical and you can use both sides of them, because they both have the same color, meaning that it's possible to have more configurations with a simple piece swap.

The difficulty of the puzzle can vary depending on the type of shape you're trying to do. Asymmetrical shapes are much easier and there's probably many more solutions, whereas the symmetrical ones are harder to build and fewer. There's five shapes on the tray to try to get used to the solving method, but you can find many more.


The number of solutions is unknown, so you never know if you've solved them all. A nice thing, if you think about it, because, even after you've found a handful of new solutions, there could be much more to discover. A great puzzle, indeed.

Peg Trap


This puzzle was built in 2007, also with red alder and black walnut wood, and its goal is similar to that on the Optimal Tumble, meaning that you have multiple levels of difficulty that will suit anyone and the main challenge is to find symmetrical arrangements.


You have nine pieces with a pattern that, when placed in the tray, they will leave six holes. Now, there's over 800.000 solutions, but most of them will be just random patterns of holes. If you want a harder challenge, you need to make a symmetrical pattern with the holes, although not all symmetrical patterns are possible. Also similar with the Optimal Tumble is the double-sided pieces that will increase greatly the number of possible arrangements. If you want to just move a hole around, you can do that by flipping a single piece.


Overall, I noticed that the Peg Trap was a bit harder than the Optimal Tumble, mostly because it took much more time to come up with a symmetrical solution. I found that the trick is to just swap a couple of pieces at a time, instead of removing all the pieces from the tray and try again.


Closing Comments:

William Waite's puzzles are a joy to play with. Both puzzles have a high replay level and are definitely worth their money. Even after you've played with them for many hours, you can always return to them and find new solutions. If I had to pick one of his puzzles, I would definitely go with the Optimal Tumble, for the amazing shapes it can create. All of his puzzles are original designs and you can find them only in his website, Puzzle Mist that has been a display for his great work.

As a special offer, Puzzle Mist is offering a free $10 puzzle for every 3 or more puzzles that you buy from their site, so don't waste this great opportunity. Also, shipping is free within the US for any order, and free International for 3 or more puzzles as well.