With all the current economic situation in Europe, Siebenstein-Spiele's Euro Krise seems like an appropriate choice to spend some free time. You won't need a doctorate in economy to solve this one, but it might be harder than you think. Can you solve, at least, this small crisis and put some order back in the provided tray?

Designed by Siebenstein-Spiele's main designer Jürgen Reiche, and made from laser-cut wood in two colors, the circular tray measures only 10.5cm in diameter (about 4.1"). Inside, it holds 12 coin-shaped pieces cut in different ways. With the exception of two perfectly round coins, the other ten pieces all have distinct shapes that can only be arranged in one unique solution. This makes for one rather challenging puzzle, and since this is a packing puzzle, be prepared for a lot of trial and error.

The design of the Euro Krise is fantastic. The cuts in the pieces give the illusion of a 3D effect, as if the pieces overlap each other. Each coin is engraved to look as close as possible with a real Euro coin, although the diameter is slightly bigger on the wooden version (27mm, as opposed to 23mm on a real coin). The width is also thicker in the wooden version.

Rated as a level 8/10, the difficulty of the puzzle is right at the limit of what can be considered a frustrating puzzle. Because the pieces are round, there's a lot of possibilities when you're placing a certain piece. It took me over an hour and a half to finally solve the puzzle, and even then the pieces didn't move as loosely as they did before I took the pieces out. It requires a little adjusting to get the pieces in the right places, at first giving the impression that it's not the real solution you've just found. The pieces are only engraved on one side, so they can't be flipped - It can be a positive thing, since there's less possibilities to place a certain piece.

Closing Comments:

Euro Krise is a cleverly designed puzzle, very challenging, but also quite rewarding when you finally solve it. It's not among the best by Siebenstein-Spiele, but certainly above average for a packing puzzle, especially how well presented it is - Something that this company excels at.

Availability: You can find the Euro Krise puzzle at PuzzleMaster for about $19 CAD. For others designs by Siebenstein-Spiele click here.