(Click to Enlarge)

The following is a top 10 from my last 100 puzzle reviews. I have done a similar thing for the first 100, which can be accessed here. So, to avoid confusion, this is not a top for the 200 reviews, just the last 100. A comprehensive all-around top 10 will be done when I hopefully reach the 1000th review.

Each puzzle is only briefly described. For a detailed review and availability information, click on the link for the specific entry.

10 - DBox

Essentially a construction set similar to Livecube, the DBox was invented by Boaz Leicht. 32 unit cubes in two colors, blue and yellow make use of a stable connection allowing to build and solve countless 3x3x3 cubic puzzles and many other 2D ones as well. Building patterns and playing multiplayer games are some of the other possibilities for the DBox. A very cost-effective tool that easily puts at your disposal thousands of puzzles, saving you a lot of money in the process. The $25 per set might deter some people from buying multiple sets for more complex structures, though.

9 - Culica

Invented by the British James Eadon, the Culica is a very versatile puzzle/game with a great potential to become a worldwide success. A cube with 54 slots and 84 pegs in four colors is all you need to play its already large variety of logic puzzles and multiplayer games found at their website. Updated often with new puzzles and games, it will be hard to become tired of it, and on top of that you can also create your own games.

8 - Wine Lovers Puzzle


7 - Solitaire Chess


Created by the talented Finnish puzzle inventor Vesa Timonen, the Solitaire Chess is a brilliant adaptation of the traditional chess game. With a simplified 4x4 board, ten actual chess pieces and playing with the same rules, your task is to pick one of the game's 60 challenges divided in four difficulty levels, set up the board with the correct pieces and solve it until you're left with just one piece. The main requirement is that each move you make has to result in a piece being captured, otherwise you have to start over. A wonderful logic puzzle that can be absolutely addictive. A must-have for any chess player.

6 - All Five

A stunningly beautiful puzzle invented by Wayne Daniel, the All Five is a wonderful mathematical achievement. Comprised by 37 pieces, its name comes from the fact that it's actually a 5-in-1 puzzle representing the 5 Platonic solids. The solids have a harmonious relationship with each other, all nesting inside a progressively smaller one, sort of like a Matryoshka doll. The puzzle itself is not crazy difficult, but there are a couple of puzzles that do require a little more effort and skill to assemble.

5 - Phil Exley's 3D Puzzles


Phil Exley's 3D Puzzles were one of my biggest findings last year. Reviewed in January this year, these puzzles are designed and crafted by him at his shop in the Algarve, Portugal. A bit on the small size, the superb design is totally worth it, however. His puzzles vary in level difficulty, which can go from 4 to 64 pieces. The complex designs are carved by hand, no laser-cutting, which makes for a more authentic and unique piece of art. For creating his own line of original puzzles, Phil deserves all the credit from the puzzle community. A true craftsman.

4 - Breadbox

David Litwin is a renowned inventor who is most notable for his twisty puzzle creations and his line of Elemental puzzles. Surprising the puzzle community with his latest design and concept by Bram Cohen, the Breadbox, David takes his first steps in the 2D packing puzzles with one of my favorite puzzles in the category. Focused in the theme of bread, the puzzle has 17 pieces in three sizes. Depicting two loaves of bread and a bread crumb, there are two challenges to solve. One is getting all two loaves to fit tightly in the frame; the other, harder, is to add the bread crumb. The frame is made from Maple, the large pieces from Cherry and the smaller ones from Walnut. The Breadbox was David's exchange puzzle at the 31st IPP.

3 - Trifolia


A wonderful work of art by Kate Jones, Trifolia is one of my latest favorite puzzles. Published by Kadon Enterprises, the acrylic puzzle is a set of 24 laser-cut tiles with all possible combinations of four edge types. It comes in a beautiful, also acrylic, black tray and two contrasting colors for the pieces: opaque red and white. Included with the puzzle is a comprehensive booklet with all types of challenges that you can solve with the set, as well as a few multiplayer games. Trifolia is not just a feast to the eyes, due to the mesmerizing shapes of the pieces, but it's also a fantastic puzzle with countless challenges to attempt that'll keep you busy for months to come. One of Kate's best work.

2 - Quadratum Cubicum


Quadratum Cubicum is a collection of several mathematicians' square trisection puzzles. The nine puzzles, with a total of 68 pieces made from plexiglass, range from six to nine pieces and can be combined to form 27, 9, 3 or 1 big square. It comes in a stylish beautiful wooden box with a pin lock and it was Christian Blanvillain entry at the 31st IPP. A treasure to any math wiz or packing puzzle fan, the Quadratum Cubicum is a must-have in any puzzle collection.

1 - Truzzle


... And we reach number 1 in my countdown of the best puzzles of the last 100 reviews. Truzzle, a curious name for a puzzle, right? Invented by Frank Paris from France, Truzzle is actually a line of edge-matching puzzles with a wonderful originality. Several patterns of waves cut from a selection of 16 types of wood make a wide variety of puzzles in two available sizes. The one in the image is a Spriral Motif with Multicolored Cubes (Big size). Choosing from a pattern of cubes or stripes, the Truzzle you end up buying will be a true masterpiece like no other. With a perfect balance and harmony between a puzzle and a decorative object, the Truzzle is the ultimate gift for a puzzle lover.

I have also made two animated motion videos for the Truzzle. Check them out: Video 1/Video 2.

                                                                     **************************************

With these 10 puzzles, my collection is certainly much richer than before. I am looking very much forward to the 300th post and to see which new puzzles make it into the top 10.

What about you? Which changes would you make to the top? Any of my reviews that you think would've deserved to be in this top too? Leave your thoughts in the comments section of this post. Looking forward to your feedback.

A big Thank You to all the readers of the blog and for helping making it what it is today. I hope you continue to visit for more puzzle reviews.

The Inverse Cube or Sam's Cube, invented by Sam Mcflay, is a non-traditional six-piece burr with additional parts that make it into a cube.

As the name suggests, the pieces are grouped in three sets of pieces, each with an inverse image of the other or mirrored, if you will. The puzzle is built from Samanea (Rain Tree) wood and measures 6 x 6cm (2.4"). The goal in any type of burr is to discover how to take it apart and then, after careful study of the pieces, assemble it back to its original form.

Unlike the traditional burr, this puzzle needs a different approach to be solved. The pieces interlock in a way that when you try to pull them apart it doesn't seem to do much good. They do have to be pulled apart in order to disassemble the cube (no pushing necessary), but they have a very specific way to accomplish that. You just need to figure out for yourself where exactly do you need to pull.

(Click to Enlarge)

From my past experience with burr puzzles, taking them apart is most of the times easier than actually assemble them back together. The notches on the pieces connect with each other in right angles and not always in an intuitive way. Good visual perception and 3D spacial skills are two of the most important abilities for solving this kind of puzzles.

This is rated as a 3/5 difficulty puzzle in the Brilliant Puzzles' website, so if you're experienced with these puzzles, you won't find it that much tough. The first thing you need to be aware of when trying to assemble it back is that each of the cubes' faces has a large and a small square adjacent to each other, and two rectangles with perpendicular orientation in relation to each other. Also, the two stripes that criss-cross the cube are off-set from the center. This is important for visualizing how the pieces might connect together and helps the solving process. Re-assembling time took about 10 minutes.

(Click to Enlarge)

Closing Comments:

I liked the originality of Sam's Cube. It's not extremely challenging, but still quite fun to solve and very affordable. A higher contrast between the stripes and the outer parts would've made it look even better, though.

Availability: The Inverse Cube is available at Brilliant Puzzles for about $11 USD.

Another one of Hanayama's revitalized puzzles, the Cast Plate is an update of an old design, found at Jerry Slocum's collection, by the talented hand of Nob Yoshigahara. It was first released in February 2005 and the key word is "succession".

The Cast Plate is essentially a disk with 23 holes scattered around its surface and a disk with a gap that allows it for travelling around these holes, sort of like a maze. The object is to remove the ring from the plate and then return it to the "Goal" position.

Prior to know about the Cast Plate existence, I purchase a few years ago a box full of vintage puzzles, and in there was this puzzle bearing a striking resemblance to the Plate's concept. As you can see from the photo below, it's about half its size and it's made in aluminum, which is much cheaper to produce. I'm not sure if the old copy I have is the real thing, but judging from the appearance of the box that came with it, it sure looks like it's from a few decades ago. The older version also has a starting position. Here's the one from Jerry Slocum's collection (Disc and Ring Maze), the one that inspired Nob for the updated version.

(Click to Enlarge) - Comparison between a vintage maze puzzle (left) and the Cast Plate (right)

Even though the Cast Plate should be a modern version, it still looks like a vintage puzzle, and in terms of quality it leaves much to be desired. The ring often gets jammed and stuck in the holes, needing some force to free it. The disc itself looks great, though. It was very well polished and has a clean smooth surface, although not flat. Maybe if the holes were a little more wide or the ring a little more thinner, the problem would be easily fixed.

Hanayama rates the Cast Plate as a 2/6 puzzle, although in my opinion it's no harder than any of the level 1 puzzles. As far as I'm concerned, very little skill is needed to solve it. As the key word suggests, a succession of moves will suffice to eventually free the ring. Some people might solve it faster than others, depending on how many dead ends you encounter on the way, but in the end it's just a question of trial and error, luck and intuition. After you've solved it, you can try again to see how much of the path you still remember and get a faster solving time.

After you make the first moves, it will be easier to see where you can place the ring next, as the distance between the holes becomes predictable. You can also tackle this challenge backwards by imagining the ring entering the disc and work your way to the "Goal" position.

Note: At the back of the disc you can read "Nob's Last Present". Knowing that Mr. Nob passed away in 2004, it's certainly related to the last project he did for Hanayama.

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Closing Comments:

The Cast Plate is not Hanayama's best work, but it's still a nice puzzle. Also worth praising is the fact that they try to give new life to old puzzles, making them widely accessible again for people that otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to play with them.

Availability: The Cast Plate came from the Finnish store Sloyd.fi and it's available for about €10 (worldwide shipping available). For all the other puzzles in the Cast Series, check out their Hanayama page.

Solution: You can order the solution for free in the puzzle's description page at Sloyd's.

Links:

Hanayama Cast (in English) - Very useful website in English, with plenty of information on all things Cast.

Hanayama's Factory Visit (Many thanks to Roxanne Wong for sharing these pictures)

A few weeks ago, I reviewed a great puzzle by Puzzle Crafthouse (Creative Crafthouse), the Wine Lovers Puzzle. I was so pleased with by its sheer originality and beauty that I became an instant fan of their Picture Frame Puzzles. Stay tuned for the end of this week's post, as this puzzle will be featured in my upcoming 200th post top 10. Today, I present to you another one of these magnificent puzzles, the Flower Garden - Hawaii.

Designed by Dave Janelle from Creative Crafthouse, the puzzle is a selection of flowers from Hawaii. Eight  wooden pieces made with at least four different hardwoods comprise this stunning and elegant Picture Frame Puzzle. Deep cuts in the pieces form additional details and at the same time, indicate which side you're supposed to use, as the backside of the pieces are not so well defined. The tray measures about 18cm in length (7"), which is about the size of a standard Picture Frame.

Rated as a level 3 (as reference, the Wine Lovers Puzzle is a level 3+), I actually found it harder than the previous one, or at least it took me more time to solve. What I like about these puzzles is that each one is completely unique, like it has its own personality. The pieces fit in a specific way, and your previous experiences won't help you that much. That being said, I believe these puzzles have one unique solution (not counting mirrored images or rotations), given the nature of their pieces and how they were thought out.

Many times I found myself struggling even to get seven pieces in the frame, so you can imagine how hard it is to actually fit all eight pieces. When solved, the puzzle still wastes a considerable amount of space, so the goal is to try and waste the least space as you can. Explore the pieces two at the time and see if there's any parts that can connect, sort of like a Jigsaw puzzle, or even pieces that can be placed along the walls of the frame. The connections will be subtle, but as you correctly place two or three, the others will become increasingly easier to pack.

(Click to Enlarge)

Closing Comments:

Even though I liked the Wine Lovers Puzzle more, the Flower Garden - Hawaii is a great looking puzzle and can be played by anyone that remotely likes a good Jigsaw puzzle. And even if you don't like Jigsaw puzzles at all, not to worry, as the Picture Frame Puzzles offer a very satisfying puzzling experience like no other.

Availability: The Flower Garden - Hawaii can be found only at Puzzle Crafthouse for $25 USD. For the same price, you can get a colored acrylic version, if you prefer. For many other puzzles in the Picture Frame category, see this page.

Solution: If you like, you can take a look at the solved puzzle here.

For any true puzzle enthusiast, Vinco is synonymous for outstanding workmanship. Václav Obšivač, a Czech puzzle designer and craftsman makes extraordinary complex puzzles and sells them at a very affordable price. Most notable for his coordinate-motion puzzles, the Square AC2, however, is part of his line of assembly/packing puzzles.

If you check the blog regularly, you probably read my previous review of his other similar puzzle, the mini AC3. Both puzzles have the same type of pieces, which are a combination of two sizes of triangular prisms in various configurations. There are 10 pieces, all dissimilar and when packed, they fill a square frame.

(Click to Enlarge) - The 10 Pieces

The puzzle is all manufactured in plain wood and some pieces have different color tones, which give a nice colored effect. The frame measures 9.5 x 9.5 x 2cm (3.7" x 3.7" x 0.8"). Curiously, this one's smaller than the measurements in the PuzzleMaster's website, but still bigger than their smaller version of the same puzzle. A nice feature of the tray is that in the bottom there's another frame with the same dimensions, but with a smaller height, which is more practical to solve the puzzle and looks nicer for displaying it, as it shows more of the pieces.

If you know Vinco's puzzles, then you know that he adds numbers to their names. This is basically to tell them apart, as he often releases several versions of the same puzzle, but with slight differences in the piece configuration, number of pieces or even the outer appearance. For example, the Square AC3 looks very similar, but it has 13 pieces instead of 10. You can probably guess which one is more difficult to solve...

If you have the mini AC3 and thought it was extremely difficult with just six pieces, then what to say about this Square AC2. PuzzleMaster rates this as the hardest level, a 10/10, and I certainly agree. Well, an 11 would be more fitting, really. By the tone of the writing, you might be guessing by now that I haven't solved it yet. You are correct... After several unsuccessful attempts, the best I could do was to pack all but one piece. And the old strategy of removing just a few pieces and repack them at different positions hasn't been working either. I guess I still have plenty more work to do until I finally solve it.

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Closing Comments:

While I wasn't able to solve the Square AC2 (yet), I still liked the puzzle very much. On top of looking great, Vinco's puzzles always provide a tough challenge capable of frustrating even the best of puzzle solvers. If you like non-intuitive thinking, then give this one a try.

Availability: The Square AC2 can be found at PuzzleMaster for about $19CAD. There's also a smaller version of the same puzzle for less than half the price. If you like this type of puzzles, take a look at these other similar designs by Vinco: Eight Houses, Cube 3, Minibox C2, Minibox Q1.5, Three Wedges, Triangle 9x3, Triangle AC2, HCP1, HCP2, HCP3, Hexagon AC, Rectangle AC2, Sandwich, mini AC3 and Square AC3.

Links:

Vinco's Official Website

Trifolia is a wonderful edge-matching puzzle invented by Kate Jones and first published by Kadon Enterprises in 1990.

The puzzle has 24 laser-cut acrylic tiles in two contrasting colors, red and white, and they represent all possible edge type combinations, which is waves, straights, hills and valleys. Reminiscent of a M.C. Escher's painting, the puzzle is also mathematically related to another Kadon puzzle, the Multimatch III.

(Click to Enlarge) - The 24 Tiles

Beautifully presented in a black acrylic square tray, measuring 21.5cm in length (8.5"), the puzzle comes solved in a hexagon shape with a checkerboard color pattern. Within the hexagon shape, you have a staggering 2.3 million solutions. However, only a small fraction of that number allows for color symmetry solutions (see below photos for a couple of examples). From the many possible symmetrical solutions, one of the most obvious, half white/half red, is impossible to solve, as one of tiles has to be placed on the other color half. Even though there are plenty of hexagon solutions to keep you entertained for a while, the puzzle offers you many more challenges with other shapes. Another great feature is that it's also possible to play a few multiplayer games with the set. The rules for these are presented in the included booklet.

As you explore a plethora of interesting challenges in the booklet, you face different types of tasks with specific rules and requirements. The first of these are a set of regular shapes in which you need fewer tiles to solve. The given challenges are presented as a straight-edge shape with straight contours and the hard part is figuring out which ones you need and how the internal contours are organized. In these challenges, it's not required to solve them in a checkerboard color scheme, although some of them do have this possibility. Below, I show a couple of these shapes, one with 16 tiles and another with 22 tiles.

Another interesting challenge that takes advantage of the different types of contours is the "Pieces of eight". You are given several eight-tile symmetrical shapes, where it's possible to solve simultaneously, the same shape with three different contours (straights, hills and valleys). Contrary to what you may think, this is rather tricky to accomplish, even after you separate the types of contours. For example, the shape I selected to solve, a diamond, took in each contour shape, one single piece that didn't have any contour for that shape. In other words, the all straight edge diamond shape has in its interior one tile with two waves and a valley; the all hills edge shape has one tile with two waves and one straight; and the all valleys edge shape has one tile with three waves. You can see this better in the photo below.

(Click to Enlarge) - Diamond Shapes w/ Straights, Hills and Valleys

The next challenge that I've tried was also quite tough to solve, as getting the right tiles for each shape is harder than it looks. "Four of a kind" requires you to use all 24 tiles, except you'll be using them to build four shapes of six tiles each, simultaneously. The interesting part is that the shape you choose has to be the same in all four copies, but each with one of the four types of contours. The first obvious thing in this challenge is to separate the tiles that have the same three-edge contour, as they will belong in their respective group. The rest of the shape within each contour type can have tiles with one or two of the same contours. The booklet gives you three examples, but there are a total of 12 to discover. As seen below, I made the challenge for the hexagon shape.

(Click to Enlarge) - Four of a Kind

A variant of the "Pieces of eight" challenge, the "Double delights" is the hardest challenge I tried. You are given several shapes of 12 tiles to choose from. When you do, try to solve that shape with straight outside edges. The hard part comes next, when from the 24 tiles, 12 are for the same shape with hills around the perimeter and the other 12 are for valleys. These two have to be solved simultaneously. Below, you can see one of these shapes with the above requirements. Note that in the shapes with the valleys and hills, the inner borders have different contours from the outside ones. As I understood, only the outside borders are required to have hills or valleys.

And finally, the last main challenge. This one makes use of all 24 tiles, but the goal is to build different shapes, other than the hexagon. You are given figures with 14 unit edges of perimeter and many others with 16 unit edges. For reference, the hexagon has 12 unit edges of perimeter. Although these are quite hard to solve, I still think that the "Double delights" is the hardest challenge. Below, you can see one of such figures (14 unit edges).

(Click to Enlarge) - 14 Unit Edge Figure

Closing Comments:

If you like to explore puzzles mathematically or to discover new solutions, Trifolia is an excellent puzzle to do this. The figures you see in the booklet are not all the possible solvable ones. There are many more, and finding them out for yourself is part of the beauty in this puzzle.

I have truly enjoyed playing with Kate's Trifolia and solve its many challenges. I know I've only scratched the surface and that there are many more to solve. This is definitely a puzzle to have around and play continuously trying to find other solutions. One of the best puzzles I've reviewed this year.

Availability: Trifolia can be bought directly from the Kadon Enterprises website for $55 USD. You have a choice of bold colors (red/white) or mellow with see-through green and purple. I would love to see other color combinations, but that's probably depending on the available materials. Kadon Enterprises also has a wide selection of other great puzzles.

(Click to Enlarge) - Left: Checkerboard Pattern; Right: Random Solution

Pyramid puzzles have this strikingly beautiful appearance that it's hard to pass unnoticed. Over these four years of collecting I acquired several of them, and the Luxor Pyramid, an assembly puzzle, is my latest one.

This is a rather large puzzle measuring 17.5cm in length (about 7"), and has a great contrast level with two types of wood. It comes with a nice wooden base and, I don't know what to call that triangle that goes around the pyramid, but it sure is a nice design touch. There are 14 pieces and they can be divided in three different groups: three square pyramids; six triangular pyramids and five triangular prisms. All pieces are identical within each group.

(Click to Enlarge)

The pieces could have used a little more work in the sanding department, as there are some noticeable wooden splinters here and there, which might get in your fingers pretty easily. We all know how nasty those can be...

Don't be fooled by the number of pieces, though. The puzzle is actually quite easy to assemble once taken apart. It's a level 3/5, rated by Brilliant Puzzles. When I first disassembled the pyramid I assumed it only had one solution and one way to stack the pieces, but as I continued I discovered that it was possible to build it in other patterns. I was very pleased with the finding and so, I attempted a few other alternative patterns.

I'm not a mathematician, but I could see that the reason for this was the direct relationship between the lengths of the different pieces. The triangles all had the same perimeter, as well as the squares. The only thing that changed was the way the pieces were assembled. I didn't count how many different arrangements are possible, but if you don't take into account the asymmetrical patterns, I'm guessing more than a dozen.

The Luxor Pyramid might not be so challenging for an experienced puzzler, but the possibility of building multiple patterns expands its playability and makes it worth the price. Also, makes for a great decorative desk item.

Availability: I got the Luxor Pyramid from the online puzzle shop Brilliant Puzzles, but as of the time of writing, It's unavailable. Alternatively, you can buy their 14 Pieces Pyramid, which is completely identical to the one I show here, except for the triangle that's placed in the middle.

(Click to Enlarge) - Identical to 14 Pieces Pyramid

The Cast Star was one of the very first Cast Puzzles released by Hanayama back in 1983. The other two being the Key and the ABC. After 29 years, the company has released 51 more of them and they certainly won't be stopping any time soon.

The Star puzzle has its origins in the 19th century Britain and Akio Kamei designed this updated version. Comprised by two entangled pieces, an irregular six-pointed star and a snake-shaped loop, the object of the puzzle is self-explanatory, as the two parts are to be separated. At first, it seems impossible to get the star out of the loop, but with a close inspection, you'll notice a few particularities that make the difference and are the key to successfully solve the puzzle.

The puzzle looks like it's made from brass, and judging by the characteristic metal smell it leaves on your hands, it's very likely to be. I actually prefer a smoother and more polished feel, like the Cast S&S, or a coating finish, although I can see why they opted out of having it coated, knowing that it would come off very easily with the constant fiddling. Still, even with the actual look, the puzzle looks great. You can also make a keychain out of it by adding a chain to the small protuberance at the bottom.

This is rated by Hanayama as a level 3 out of 6, so with just a little work and observation, you should be able to solve it within 10 minutes or so. The first time I solve it, I was very surprised, as the star fell out of the loop after only a couple of minutes. Not knowing exactly what I've done, I put the star back in the loop, and much to my surprise, again, it was immediately entangled. This was going well... I didn't know how the star got out, neither how it got in. Well, you could argue, "The puzzle was solved, what more could you ask for?". See, that's the point, was it really solved? - My fellow puzzle blogger, Kevin Sadler, wrote an interesting article addressing this very issue, titled "When is a puzzle truly solved?", and to be honest, I couldn't agree more with him. Many times when we solve a puzzle for the first time, we might not fully comprehend the exact method or solving process associated with it. By solving the puzzle multiple times and returning it back to its original position, you ensure that there's not just blind luck involved, but actual skill. After three successful attempts, I can now understand how the puzzle works and solve it in a matter of seconds. 

With that in mind, I proceeded to solving the puzzle a second time, and instead of just randomly fiddling with the puzzle, I paid attention to the details. One of the noticeable differences is the individual length and width of the stars' spikes. Among the irregularities in the measurements (purposely done), there's a spike significantly smaller than the others. That's the key to solve the puzzle, but there's another thing you should keep in mind: Where exactly does the smaller spike have to be placed in order to free the star? - That's up to you to find out, but I'll leave you with another tip - Pay close attention to the inclination angle of the loop. The star will exit at the bottom with the smaller spike. If you need further help to solve it, you can get the solution for free in the puzzle's page at Sloyd.

(Click to Enlarge)

Closing Comments:

The Star may not be my favorite in the Cast Series, but it's still a great puzzle for a level 3 and you won't be disappointed if you get one. I think it also bears a resemblance to the Cast Cage, where you find another star enclosed in a cage. Definitely worth a try.

Availability: The Cast Star is available at Sloyd for about €10 and if you're interested in others in the Cast  Puzzle line up, take a look at their Hanayama dedicated page.

Erich Friedman, a Professor of Mathematics and puzzle designer from Florida has made many interesting puzzles over the years. One of them, Cover Up, is a brilliant concept and has multiple challenges.

The puzzle has three pieces of a lighter toned hardwood and three pieces of a darker tone. Your task is to cover the entire area of the lighter pieces with the darker ones. Obviously this works the other way around. There's an easy and medium challenge as well to train your brain before attempting the main one, as figuring out how to solve it, is rather tricky and requires an out-of-the-box thinking. It's rated as a level 3/5+.

The Cover Up puzzle is made exclusively by Puzzle Crafthouse in Florida and comes in a nice 9.5 x 9.5cm (3.75") wooden box to store the pieces. All six pieces have the same 7-unit area and share the same 4-unit length.

I found it hard to classify this puzzle. It's not exactly a packing problem, but it can be categorized as an assembly puzzle... After all, you do have to assemble the pieces in a way that they can show the correct solution.

(Click to Enlarge)

I'll start by the easy challenge. This requires only two light pieces and two dark pieces. The goal is the same, to cover two identical pieces with the other two. Solving this one might not take you more than a couple of minutes. The second challenge is a little tougher, but you should still be able to solve it within 10 minutes. This time, you use all six pieces, but in a mixture: select two dark and one light pieces, or two light and one dark (either combination works), and cover the first three with the others. You can see the solution for the easy and medium challenges at the end of this post.

After solving the first two challenges within 15 minutes, I was confident that I wouldn't need more than half an hour to solve the hard one. Wrong assumption... I honestly lost count of the time I needed to finally solve it, because it was done after several unsuccessful sessions. I won't go over the solution much, because it would spoil the fun of solving it on your own, but I can say that it's a little different from the first two challenges. It's not a trick or anything like that, as the solution is a 2D shape, but it's a bit counter-intuitive in my opinion and not easily found by just random manipulation. More like a level 4 than a level 3, but like any other puzzle, the level of difficulty depends on many things, so it's a bit subjective.

Closing Comments:

Overall, the Cover Up puzzle was a great surprise and it's a welcome addition to my collection, as I have nothing else quite like it. Easy to understand, but a pain to solve... However, there's a very satisfying feeling of accomplishment when you finally solve it. For its unusual and original idea, I highly recommend it to anyone in need of a tough challenge.

Availability: The Cover Up puzzle can be found only at Puzzle Crafthouse for about $14 USD. For an extra $4, you can engrave custom text on the puzzle. Perfect for a gift.

Solutions: Below, you can see the solutions for the easy and medium challenges.

(Click to Enlarge) - Easy Challenge Solution

(Click to Enlarge) - Medium Challenge Solution

My torturous adventure with wire puzzles continues this week with another fiendish puzzle, the Sidewinder. This is made by PuzzleMaster and it's one of the hardest puzzles that I've tried so far. The goal is to remove the red string.

On top of being a very difficult puzzle to solve, the Sidewinder is a mixture of wire and string. If that's not enough to scare you off, you're one brave puzzler. Many of my previous attempts with string based puzzles have ended in complete disaster with some hard to disentangle knots. Because of this, whenever I face a string puzzle, caution and prudence are two things very well present on my mind.

As I understand by its name, the puzzle is reminiscent of a venomous pit-viper. If that's the intention, it fits perfectly with its theme and level of difficulty. The wire part, a trademark of PuzzleMaster, is made with a nickel plated finish and has two rings, one at each end. The way the rings are positioned leaves very little room to move them. The string part is comprised by two beads at both ends and is entangled at the wire frame by two small loops. While it seems possible at first sight, the beads can't pass through the metal rings.

The Sidewinder is a level 10/10 (Mind boggling) puzzle, so this might give you an idea of the complexity involved and serious thinking required in order to successfully solve it. You're probably wondering by now if I have solved the puzzle with all this talk... To simply answer you - No, I did not. I have the puzzle since January and have been trying on and off, with little to no progress at all. And I'm not sure if I will ever be able to solve it.

I keep trying to imagine how the string can be freed from the wire frame, but I can't seem to wrap my brain around it. I'm sure the two rings play an important role in the solving process, and that the string with its 30cm length (12") will probably make a few crazy knots, but all my attempts have produce no noticeable effect.

Closing Comments:

Being one of the most difficult wire puzzles around, the Sidewinder is a true test to your patience and skill levels. If you're an experienced wire puzzle enthusiast, this is definitely one for you.

Availability: The Sidewinder is available at PuzzleMaster for about $10 CAD. For many others in this category, check out their dedicated Wire Puzzle page.

Solution: You can download here the solution for the Sidewinder puzzle. I won't give up on mine just yet, but my patience has limits.