Nur Mut

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Siebenstein-Spiele doesn't make many interlocking puzzles - most of their catalog is packing puzzles or slide puzzles - but the ones they do make, end up being quite impressive designs. Nur Mut (a German term meaning "Be brave!" or "Have courage!") is a tough interlocking puzzle, designed by Jürgen Reiche,  that will surely get you some frustrating moments.

I was very surprised by the size of the puzzle, which is not noticeable from the photos. This is actually one of the tiniest puzzles on my collection right now, measuring only 3cm in diameter (about 1.18"). It looks like a sample of another puzzle, but it's quite functional and surprisingly well made, considering the small size of its pieces.

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Nur Mut consists of six interlocking pieces. There are only three distinct pieces: one group has three congruent pieces; the other group has two; and there's one single unique piece. The design is charming, with four acrylic pieces and two wooden, both in the middle of each layer. The pieces are laser-cut with precision, otherwise the puzzle wouldn't work so well at this size.

As expected from interlocking puzzles, taking it apart is not so difficult. I was able to solve it within a couple of minutes. The real challenge in these cases is returning it to its original shape, which is something that I always dread. From the photos, it's easy to see how the puzzle should look like when solved, but the correct sequence of moves is extremely difficult to figure out. I've tried to solve it with the help of the solution, downloaded from PuzzleMaster, but I found it very confusing. It's not a step by step guide, only a brief description of the solving process. It's also unclear whether the solution shown is to take it apart or to reassemble it. As of now, the puzzle is yet to be completely solved.

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Closing Comments:

Nur Mut is a must-have for interlocking puzzle fans, but it's not recommended for beginners, or it will be a very frustrating puzzle. The design is what captivated my interest at first, and I'm glad to add another Siebenstein puzzle to my collection. And this one doesn't take much space, something very welcoming right now.

Availability: Nur Mut is available at PuzzleMaster for $12.99 CAD. Other puzzles by Siebenstein-Spiele are also available.