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The Hexagon has quite an interesting design, and contrary to many other Cast Puzzles, its goal is pretty clear right from the start (remove the three pieces from the frame). However, just because its mechanism isn't ambiguous it doesn't mean that it's not a difficult puzzle. Classified as a level 4/6, you can be sure that this isn't a puzzle you'll be solving in just a couple of minutes.

When seen in its initial state, all three pieces form a shape that resembles three hexagons put together. Moreover, even before you've made your first move, the pieces look like they have the same overall shape. That's not the case, as you'll soon verify after the first two moves - all three pieces have a different configuration.

Solving the Cast Hexagon requires creative thinking and finding the correct sequence. It requires a total of 24 moves to remove all three pieces, but I reckon you'll need a few more on your first time, as it also happened to me. The pieces slide quite easily around the frame, although they're locked inside the small area until you remove them. The empty space is very small, so you'll have to keep those pieces moving and rotating them quite a bit to make room for the next move. It may sometimes be a little frustrating finding that there's no space for a move you wanted to make, but just keep trying until you remove the first piece. After that it's a piece of cake to remove the remaining two.

Putting the puzzle back together can be even more difficult if you don't have a guide. Be sure to know the order the pieces were removed and you'll eventually will be able to put it in its original state.

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Hanayama never disappoints when it comes to their flagship series, and the Cast Hexagon is no different. I was a bit skeptical at first, because of its unusual design, but after playing with it, I have nothing negative to say about it, and I can recommend it to anyone who likes Cast Puzzles.

Availability: I got the Cast Hexagon from the Spanish store PuzzlesdeIngenio.com. Others in the series can also be bought here.

If you're a cat lover, like myself, you're in for a treat, as Creative Crafthouse's new Picture Frame Puzzle designed by Dave Janelle, the Cat Lovers, promises to deliver a good dose of fun and feline puzzling. Ten different breeds of cats are represented in this puzzle in various sizes and poses, and one unlucky little mouse, which found himself trapped among this clowder. Your task is to find a way for all of these little pranksters to get along inside the tight space of the frame. There's only one way to do this, so get creative...

Made from at least four different types of hardwood, which results in several different colors, the puzzle is a beautiful showcase of the craftsmanship achieved at Creative Crafthouse's shop in Florida. Each cat is a close representation of its living counterpart, made with spots and stripes by delicately carving the wood with subtle lines. Their Picture Frame Puzzles are also quite big and look great on display, measuring about 19.3cm (7.6") in diameter. The puzzle also comes with its own lid so you won't run the risk of losing any piece - it will only close when completely solved.

The Cat Lovers puzzle features a total of 10 different cat breeds, some of them quite exotic and rare, which I even didn't know existed. These are: Maine Coon, Korat, Kao Manee, California Spangled, Nebelung, Bengal, British Shorthair, Aegean, Persian, Peterbald. The rest are kittens, and of course there's the lonely mouse for a total of 12 pieces.

As expected from this type of puzzle the level of difficulty is very high, so you can be sure to be challenged to the limit of your skills and then some... The cats, and mouse, won't occupy the entirety of the frame's area, but the empty spaces between them will be very small. The trick here is to maximize the waste of space by finding parts of pieces that can be joined together as much as possible, as if you were solving a jigsaw puzzle. Leave the mouse for last, since it won't have any real impact in the solving process and can be fitted in one the remaining empty spaces.

Closing Comments:

Picture Frame Puzzles can be easily picked up by anybody, since the concept is very easy to understand. However, few will be able to solve one of these, as their high level of difficulty can bring along some frustration. If you happen to solve one, then you'll experience a great rewarding feeling. The Cat Lovers puzzle is the ultimate gift for all cat lovers out there.

Availability: I got the Cat Lovers puzzle from PuzzlesdeIngenio.com, in Spain.

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What surprised me first about the design of the Cast Galaxy was its actual size. From the pictures it looked a bit bigger, but when I first looked at it in person, I was a bit disappointed by its small size. I guess I was expecting it to be at least 10% bigger, since there are other bigger Cast Puzzles, and it would look fantastic just a tad bigger.

Nevertheless, despite the size, the puzzle looks gorgeous. I love astronomy and anything space-related, so combining two of my favorite subjects is just amazing. The Cast Galaxy was designed by Bram Cohen, who also created the Cast Marble and Cast Rattle. The theme for the Galaxy is "Knot". Are you prepared to untie this one?

The Galaxy consists of two pairs of identical pieces, as each pair has its ends cut at different angles. Other than that, the pieces are pretty much the same. The pieces are shaped like hooks and in its initial state it forms a symmetrical shape in the form of a spiral galaxy, its arms extending outwards. The puzzle is coated with a silver finish, but I would've liked to see contrasting colors. Like any other Cast Puzzle, your task is to take the puzzle apart and put it back together. Rated as a level 3/6, this should probably be a walk in the park, no?

Well, the first part of the puzzle - taking it apart - is not that difficulty, since the pieces move and slide quite easily. While it looks like it might come apart in a random fashion, or chaotic if you like, the solving process is actually something you have to do orderly and simultaneously with all four pieces. If you're familiar with the concept of coordinate-motion, then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

Even though you have to perform the exact same steps for taking it apart and putting it back together, the second part of your task is curiously much harder, because it's difficult to get all four pieces to move at the same time. I reckon I must've taken 10 times longer to put it back to its original state. It's all about dexterity and good hand-eye coordination. You know what you have to do, but your hands refuse to cooperate. After several successful attempts, I can now do it effortlessly. You see, practice makes perfect...

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The Cast Galaxy is not a difficult puzzle at all, but it challenges your motor skills like no other Cast Puzzle. The solution is not that complex like other Hamayama puzzles, but its symmetry and simplicity are rather beautiful, and for that, the Galaxy is now one of my favorites from the Cast family.

Availability: To get a copy of the Cast Galaxy, or any other puzzle in the Cast Series, visit PuzzlesdeIngenio.com.

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Built in the shape of a keyhole, the puzzle is basically a 3D maze comprised of two intertwined pieces that should be separated and then rejoined in their original position. Rated by Hanayama as a level 4/6, you will face a nice challenge with the Cast Keyhole, even though it never gets frustrating enough to give up on it.

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Beautifully made in two contrasting colors, silver and gold, as done many times with other Cast Puzzles, the quality, however, is actually even better than previous puzzles, because the thick coating doesn't scratch that easily - a big plus for every Hanayama aficionado. I have a few Cast Puzzles that are heavily scratched because of the quality of the coating applied. I guess Hanayama learned from their mistakes.

The Keyhole is moderately difficult, as any 3D puzzle should be, but with just a little patience it's possible to solve it within 10 minutes on your first attempt. You will encounter several dead-ends as you navigate through the maze by twisting and turning the two pieces. The puzzle is equally difficult to put back together, as the maze is tough to memorize.

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The Cast Keyhole by Vesa Timonen is definitely a great addition to the Hanayama family and a worthy purchase if you like Cast Puzzles. Along with its stunning design, the puzzle also offers a good amount of thinking with its unusual maze.

Availability: I got my Cast Keyhole from PuzzlesdeIngenio.com. Wordwide shipping available. Check out the others in the Cast Series.

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Block by Block is essentially the 7-piece Soma Cube, invented by Piet Hein, but with a new presentation. Sivhy Farhi was responsible for researching new shapes which are included in the form of 60 challenging puzzles. Presented in a light blue durable plastic, the game is also the most difficult in the series.

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The cards are not separated by difficulty, so you can choose the ones you like most and the difficulty should be about the same for all of them. If you get stuck with any of the challenges you can always flip the cards and check out the hints at the back that help you see how the pieces should be placed. Some of the challenges are a little difficult to see how the back side of the image should look like. One strategy is to try and build the shape as you see it in the image and the rest will eventually come to you. Each of the 60 challenges have multiple solutions, so there's many ways to achieve the same objective.


Closing Comments:

Whether you prefer 2D or 3D puzzles, the "By" series have something for everybody. The Block by Block may be the hardest, but it's also the most versatile, giving you the ability to built millions of different shapes with the 7 pieces provided.

Availability: Block by Block can be purchased at PuzzlesdeIngenio.com. More ThinkFun games here.

Recently, I reviewed the Shape by Shape game from ThinkFun, one of their four "By" series, and I was quite impressed with the versatility of the game, which allows you to create all kinds of interesting shapes and patterns. Now, I've spent some time with another one of these fascinating games, the Square by Square, and I'm equally excited by its capability of pattern-making.

This time, instead of focusing on a Tangram-like concept, the makers of this game, Yoshikatsu Hara and Yoshio Kimura, were inspired by the nature of polyominoes (pieces made by joining square units into different shapes). In the game you can see a mixture of monominoes, dominoes, trominoes and tetrominoes. There are a total of 14 pieces, eight blue and six green, and with them you can create numerous patterns and shapes. The game already includes 60 challenge cards with figures for you to solve, but when you finish these you can resort to your imagination and creative skills to create your own patterns (see the example below, with my initials).

The goal of the game is to create an image from the challenge cards provided. The card only shows the shape, in green, and the rest of the frame is filled in blue. You'll have to use the green pieces to create the shape and then combine it with the blue pieces to complete the image. All pieces must be used, and you have to pay close attention to the relative position of the pattern in relation to the frame's borders, so you don't get stuck. If you do get stuck, you'll find hints at the back of each card to help you solve it, but I believe you won't need it that often...

From what I was able to experience so far, the Square by Square is the easiest game of the four, because the monominoes and dominoes ensure you have lots of possibilities to place them on the board. However, that doesn't mean it's not fun to play with it. In fact, it means it's easier to create your own patterns as well. Another perk of this game being easier is that each challenge has multiple solutions, many ways to reach the same goal.

The Square by Square is the perfect puzzle to get started on packing puzzles, because you'll learn more clearly the relationships between the different types of polyominoes and how they interact with each other. It will give you the confidence to try more demanding puzzles and, ultimately, enjoy them best.

Availability: I got the Square by Square at PuzzlesdeIngenio.com. You can also find there many other games from ThinkFun.

Disentanglement puzzles have become quite popular these days, mostly due to Hanayama and their Cast Series. There are many types of disentanglement puzzles: some of the hardest ones have a mixture of metal and rope, but I prefer the metal-only ones, for obvious reasons. Even though Cast Puzzles are more popular and usually of better quality, it doesn't mean that other metal puzzles out there are rubbish. A good example of this is The Captive Ring (a.k.a Magic Loops), which was first introduced in Europe and America in the 19th century.

If I didn't know all Cast Puzzles pretty well, I'd say this puzzle could belong to the beloved Hanayama brand. It's very well built with a thick and strong wire (6mm in diameter - 0.2") and has a length of 11cm (4.3"). It's also coated with a shiny and smooth surface, which is better for handling it.

The puzzle is comprised by two loops and two rings. One of the rings connects the two loops and can't be removed from the frame. The other ring, however, is free to travel across the length of the loops, but not entirely free, since the middle ring is blocking its path. Your task is to find a way to free the ring and then return it to its original position. Although this looks like a very difficult puzzle, it's actually moderately challenging. On the Hanayama scale of 1-6, a fair rating would be a 3/6.

The main ring starts out at the opposite end of where it's supposed to get out. To remove it, you need to go through the middle ring, but how? Both rings are cut and bent outwards in one spot, and that same spot is the key to the solution. If you tilt the rings at the right angle, you'll see that it's possible to overlap them. Doing this in the right way will enable you to pass the ring over the other and finally remove it. Now all you have to do is to put it together again...

Closing Comments:

The Captive Ring was a very pleasant surprise for me. With a simple topology, an elegant design, and a challenging, but not frustrating solution, it's a great one to get you started on disentanglement puzzles.

Availability: You can get find The Captive Ring at PuzzlesdeIngenio.com for just €1.50.

ThinkFun has a very interesting selection when it comes to logic games, which caters to all skill levels and personal tastes. One particular type of game that I find really interesting is their collection of four pattern games that I like to call the "By" series: Shape by Shape; Square by Square; Brick by Brick and Block by Block. These games have the ability of creating all kinds of 2D and 3D images, recognizable objects or shapes, using only a few pieces. The game featured in this review is the Shape by Shape, invented by Nobuyuki Yoshigahara, and is reminiscent of a well known classic puzzle, the Tangram.

The game actually reminds me of another great game (presentation-wise), the Lokulus, which is based on Archimedes' Stomachion puzzle. If you know or have played the Tangram puzzle before, then you'll feel right at home with Shape by Shape. The idea and principle behind the puzzle is basically the same: build recognizable shapes with the puzzle's pieces. The challenge here, however, seems a little more complex than the Tangram, mainly because instead of seven pieces there's a total of 14 pieces you need to assemble into any given shape.

The game consists of six red and eight yellow pieces. The high contrast between the two colors will ensure that any shape you build is clearly visible in the tray. Made with strong and durable plastic, the pieces are thick and very easy to handle. You can turn and flip any piece the way you want, as long as it lies flat on the game tray. To solve any shape, all the pieces must be used and the resulting image has to be a perfect match of its counterpart in the challenge card.

With 60 different shapes to try and solve, there's a lot of building to do before you get tired of the game. Unlike other logic games, the cards are not separated by levels of difficulty. Without a clear indication of difficulty, any challenge can be considered easier or harder than the previous one. The challenge of the game lies in combining the two groups of pieces, yellow and red, in the tray. It's essentially a 2-in-1 game, because you have to build the shape with the red pieces, and then the yellow ones have to be placed as well to complete the picture.

You can build the shape first and work around it by placing the remaining yellow pieces, or you can do a mixture of both, placing red and yellow pieces alternately. I found it easier to just build the shape first, like a Tangram puzzle. Each challenge has more than one solution, so you can always try to find alternative arrangements for the pieces.

Closing Comments:

Shape by Shape is a great puzzle for any Tangram aficionado. Like its older cousin, the possibilities are virtually endless, so you can also try to build your own shapes. I still prefer the Lokulus game, but this one comes very close.

Availability: You can get the Shape by Shape game at PuzzlesdeIngenio.com for €16.95. You can also find there other games by ThinkFun.

Links:

ThinkFun's Official Website

Laser Maze, by ThinkFun, has captivated my curiosity ever since I first saw it, a couple of years ago. It's easy to get me excited about any type of logic games, but by adding lasers, my interest has increased even more. Now, I have finally got a copy, and it has far exceeded my expectations so far.

Invented by Luke Hooper, the concept of the Laser Maze isn't entirely new to me. I remember playing with something similar on the PC several years ago, which consisted of bending light with mirrors. There's also an interesting iPhone game called Reflection Connection that uses the same principles. Nevertheless, playing with the real thing is much more fascinating. Without going into any inaccurate facts, I believe this is the first electronic logic-game (multi-challenge), but if it's not, I will say that this is the best one I've ever played with...

I was actually surprised when I first heard about the Laser Maze. I thought, "how can they commercialize a toy with lasers?", "is it safe for kids?" - Well, as it turns out the laser can't harm your eyes or skin, under normal circumstances, because it's a class 1 laser - Not enough power to do any damage, whatsoever. Any kid aged 8-99 can safely play with Laser Maze without worrying about safety precautions.

The game comes packed with all sorts of cool light-manipulating objects: a laser, mirrors, beam splitters, a double-mirror , the works... To get you started, a collection of 60 challenge cards is included, divided in four difficulty levels, from beginner to expert (15 per level), but even after you run out of challenges to solve, you can try to create your own ever-more-complex light-bending displays.

I'll be honest. Understanding how the game works and interpreting the symbols in the challenge cards can be a little discouraging and frustrating at first. I suggest you read the instructions that come with the game and start with the first challenges, so you can familiarize yourself with the concept. After doing that, I was breezing past the first difficult level. It gets harder as you progress, but not immediately, so you can proceed at your own pace.

The goal of the game is to place the tokens as indicated on the chosen challenge card. Each card will tell you how many tokens and targets you're supposed to add to the game grid. This is where it becomes tricky at first: to determine which tokens to use, where to place them and figure out their orientation, which is sometimes undisclosed. When you think you have all worked out, just activate the laser and see if all your targets are light up. If not, you need to make some adjustments in their placement or their orientations. Note that you can only see the laser when it hits one of its targets, and never its path, as it's suggested on the game's package photo. But you already knew that if you know how lasers work, right? Anytime you get stumped in one of the challenges, you can always flip the card and see its solution.

The game works like any other type of light were to be used. The mirrors and double-mirrors will bend the light in a 90º angle, although the beam splitters have a really cool effect where one beam is split in two: one is bent like any other regular mirror and the other goes straight through it in the same direction that hit it. The checkpoint is simply a transparent piece of glass that lets the light go in a straight line.

Closing Comments:

Playing with lasers has never been more fun! The Laser Maze game has easily climbed to the top 3 of my favorite logic games of all time. It's one of the absolute best games by ThinkFun, and it shouldn't come as a surprise that it has won the Best Toy Award by the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. If you're remotely interested in logic games and/or lasers, you should definitely give this one a try.

Availability: I got the Laser Maze from the Spanish online puzzle store PuzzlesdeIngenio.com. Worldwide shipping available. You can also browse other games by ThinkFun.

Links:

ThinkFun's Official Website

Laser Maze Online Version

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The game is presented in its original box with the Lonpos brand, and inside you can find a small booklet with 107 challenges divided in the usual five difficulty levels. On the backside of the box lid there's also four additional challenges to get you started. Unlike other SmartGames, the booklet doesn't provide you with solutions for its challenges, so you're on your own, for better or worse.

The design of the game is, in my opinion, perfect. It comes in a small box with a simple closing mechanism, which is very convenient for your travels. The IQ-Splash consists of 12 irregular pieces, each in a different color and also a different letter. What's interesting is that there are six pieces that look different if you flip then on their vertical axis. To help you distinguish between these pieces, a triangle or a circle is shown together with its corresponding letter. Another design feature is the raised points on each piece, which helps to stimulate the nerve endings of your fingers.

All the design choices above were made especially to help the brain development in children, because it strengthens visual, spacial and logical thinking skills. It can be, nevertheless, a great exercise for both children and adults, and especially elderly people, by keeping the brain healthy.

From all the IQ games so far, this one seemed the most challenging, because of the irregular shape of the pieces, which makes it hard to visualize where each piece goes. The game is fairly easy throughout most of the challenges presented in the booklet, but the last level (Wizard) becomes extremely difficult to solve, since only two or three pieces are already placed in the game board. Solving time for the Wizard levels is about 20/30 minutes. There may be more than one solution for some challenges, so it's always worth another try looking for an alternate solution.

The IQ-Splash is a welcome addition to the IQ series. By including it in SmartGames' catalog, a popular brand, much more people can experience this great game that has been around for 25 years now. It's definitely a challenging game, but the easier levels make sure that everybody gets a fair chance at learning it and progress to more demanding levels at their own pace.

Availability: You can find the IQ-Splash at PuzzlesdeIngenio.com, as well as many others from SmartGames.

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With the rings intersecting at a 3D plane, the puzzle looks more complex, but in reality it's slightly easier to solve than the original version, even though the mechanism is the same. The main difference is that the Rubik's Rings have only three different colors (blue, red and yellow), whereas the Hungarian Rings have four colors. Another difference, which is more subtle, is how the balls move. In the Rubik's Rings, they are harder to move, but there's a reason for that - It's so that the balls don't move unintentionally. The Hungarian Rings had a very loosely mechanism, which sometimes had the undesired effect of moving the balls by accident.

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The goal of the puzzle is very straightforward. Simply mix the balls as much as possible and then try to regroup them in the same colors. Red or blue go in either of the sides and yellow goes in the middle. That's because there are 12 yellow balls, and 11 blue and 11 red. Mixing the balls is easy and fun, but as expected, solving it is much more challenging than just rotating the rings. If you have experience with the Hungarian Rings, you'll find this one very easy. If you never solved the original version, however, it might get quite frustrating returning the balls to their original positions. I can get you a hint, which is to solve first the yellow balls, and then separate the red and blue ones. It will get easier with practice, so just keep trying until you succeed.

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The Rubik's Rings are, to me, the best Hungarian Rings variation. It's actually less challenging, which can be good for many of you, but it's also a more interesting and beautiful design. Definitely recommended for any enthusiast.

Availability: You can get a copy of the Rubik's Rings at PuzzlesdeIngenio.com for just €9.95.

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The concept used in the MindJewel is similar to another one used in the Elastic Cube, where an elastic rope is used to join the pieces together into a continuous string. After the puzzle is disassembled, which is not that difficult, you need to figure out how to connect the pieces into the original shape, which is a little more challenging and fun.

Mindjewel is composed by 12 pentagonal pyramids, all connected by an elastic rope from one end to the other. The puzzle comes in its original state, so its easier to visualize how it's supposed to look like when solved. At first, it might look like the puzzle doesn't come apart, but when you study it in more detail, you'll discover that the first piece comes off pretty easily, followed by the others in quick succession. In no time, you'll have the dodecahedron shape undone and all the pieces laid out in a zig-zag line. Now the real fun begins, as you struggle to put the puzzle back together.

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This puzzle looks a little more challenging than the Elastic Cube, but not that much actually, as both puzzles can be easily solved with a little patience. With the exception of the two pieces at both ends, in each of the remaining 10 pieces you can change the direction or the angle at which the elastic can be connected with other pieces. This makes the task of reassembling the puzzle a little more difficult, unless you don't change its directions when you disassembled it. Each pentagonal piece also has a tiny hole and a protuberance on its five edges, facilitating the connection between the pieces and keeping them in place, avoiding that they slide off from the original shape.

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MindJewel by Recent Toys is a nice addition to any collection. It won't be challenging enough for an experienced puzzler to feel satisfied, but as a fun puzzle to keep around and entertain you while you wait for a doctor's appointment or a meeting, is a great acquisition.

Availability: You can find the MindJewel puzzle at PuzzlesdeIngenio.com. Click here for other designs by Recent Toys.

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Equal7 is to a regular gravity puzzle what a Rubik's Cube 5x5x5 is to a Rubik's Cube 3x3x3. That's a simple analogy to make you see how difficult and more demanding the Equal7 puzzle really is. There are many different challenges, but fear not, as there are easy levels, as well as medium and hard ones. Are you good at addition?

The Equal7 puzzle is a cube measuring about 5cm in diameter. Inside it are seven special dice, with each face marked with one to five dots - the face where six dots should've been is just blank. The empty space allows for the dice to slide and move across the cube by tilting it, creating a dynamic environment where each face of the cube is always changing with each move you make.

The idea is to get the same number of dots on all six faces of the cube at the same time. As mentioned above there are different challenges, each one asking you to get all faces of the cube with a different number of dots. The easiest difficult level is to get all six faces of the cube with exactly 10 dots. Level 2 requires you to have all faces with 11 dots. Level 3 with 12 dots. And finally, the hardest level is for you to get exactly 7 dots on each face of the cube. Doesn't seem logic, having the hardest level with the fewer number of dots, but believe me, it's very difficult.

(Click to Enlarge) - Notice the painted die in the front

Adding this constraint can be viewed as making the puzzle both easier or harder, depending on your interpretation of the puzzle's concept. On one hand, you don't need to worry about that space, since any die can be placed behind it, but on the other hand, it restricts the number of possibilities, thus making it harder getting the right die for the other three spaces. Whichever your interpretation, though, one thing is certain... Equal7 is a great puzzle, capable of challenging even the sharpest minds.

Closing Comments:

Equal7 by Recent Toys isn't a puzzle for mathematicians only, and even though it seems intimidating, it can be extremely fun to play with. The movement of the dice sliding inside the cube is very smooth and satisfying. The different levels of difficulty allows for everyone to try it, even a beginner.

Availability: The Equal7 is available to purchase at PuzzlesdeIngenio.com for €11.50.