Bermuda

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One of the best things about Siebenstein-Spiele is that their designs are so varied you can pretty much find any type of puzzle you like. A type of puzzle I particularly like very much is the Picture Frame Puzzles, which are a special kind of packing puzzles. What makes them so appealing are the pieces themselves, with irregular shapes and special features, that need to be taken full advantage in order to save space in the frame to pack all the pieces. Bermuda, designed by Jürgen Reiche, is one of such fascinating puzzles, and I reckon you'll love this one.

Like most of Siebenstein's puzzles, Bermuda is made with a combination of contrasting colors that beautifully enhances its appearance. However, unlike all the other Picture Frame Puzzles I currently own, this one is actually pretty small in comparison, measuring only 11.5cm x 9cm (4.5" x 3.5"). This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and looking at the puzzle, I think it's perfect this way.

The puzzle is comprised of seven unique pieces, representing animals from the ocean, all made with laser-cut wood. It comes with six pieces already packed and an extra one, the whale, in a special slot. The challenge is to get that extra piece to fit in the same space provided.

Another cool feature of the Bermuda puzzle is the oval shape of the tray, also different from the regular square ones. It doesn't make it much more challenging though, just different in a nice way. Here, you'll want to study each piece thoroughly and find parts that can be combined with other pieces to save the maximum space. For example, the curved shape of the star will easily fit with the belly of the seahorse. Don't worry about spoilers, you'll still need to figure out which part of the star goes with the seahorse and where exactly they belong in the tray.

Difficulty-wise, I found the Bermuda to be a littler easier than the other Picture Frame Puzzles I've tried before. The main reason, basically, is that the Bermuda has less pieces than the majority of Picture Frame Puzzles I know, cutting down the difficulty to a much less stressful level. Regardless, it was still challenging, taking about 15 minutes to be solved. I wouldn't bet the Bermuda puzzle has multiple solutions, mainly because the design was thought out to have a unique and optimal solution. Note that you shouldn't force a piece down. If it doesn't fit it's because it's not meant to be placed that way.

Closing Comments:

What can I say more about the Bermuda puzzle to convince you? It's a great packing puzzle, built with high quality wood and a gorgeous design worthy of an award. Definitely one of the best from Siebenstein-Spiele and highly recommended.

Availability: You can find the Bermuda puzzle at Sloyd, in Finland, for €16. Worldwide shipping available.