Planets

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The Planets puzzle comes from the genius mind of Oskar van Deventer, one of the most prolific puzzle inventors out there, and it’s manufactured by Recent Toys.

Planets is a very unique puzzle. Actually, I don’t remember ever seeing anything remotely similar. That shows you how talented Oskar really is. The puzzle is comprised of four identical balls, each one with four different colors as well. The pyramid shape assures that all four balls are touching each other at all times. The black frame holds the planets tightly in place, so there’s no way you can cheat.

What you see immediately as one odd characteristic of the puzzle is that each planet is full of craters, six per planet to be exact. These craters can function as one of two ways: movement blockers, or used to unblock any of the other balls.

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Because of these craters, the movement of the puzzle is most of the times restrictive. Every move that you attempt to do has to be planned in order to solve the puzzle. To allow a movement, a planet has to nestle on two or three craters from adjacent planets. With this in mind, your goal is to mix the puzzle and have one single color in each of its four faces.

So, how difficult is the puzzle to solve? – Well, for me it was quite challenging, actually… And frustrating. I have had this puzzle for a few years now and, although I made considerable progress on my puzzle solving skills, I remember very well how tough it was to solve. I did solve it, eventually, but it took a while. As I was writing this review, I thought I might as well have another go, to see how I really improved since last time. After having spent almost an hour to solve this fiendish puzzle, I reckon it’s still challenging no matter how good I am. If I were to rate it on a 0 to 10 scale, I would probably classify it as a level 9/10.

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Closing Comments:

The Planets puzzle by Oskar is a highly original concept that shouldn’t be missed. If you like a good challenge, this is just right for you. On the other hand, if you’re easily frustrated by hard puzzles, you’ve been warned…

Availability: You can buy Oskar's Planets at PuzzlesdeIngenio.com.

Links:

Video Demonstration