Deal of the Week: This week, you can get 15% off on all Siebenstein-Spiele puzzles. You just need to mention my blog when you place your order. Offer valid until April 25.

Pentominos are probably the most recognizable shapes in packing puzzles and certainly the most used in puzzle design. There are literally countless ways to design a puzzle using the 12 known shapes (a pentomino is comprised of five equal units joined together), but the puzzle you see above actually has more than 12 pieces, it has 20, albeit having duplicates. It was designed by Jürgen Reiche and produced by Siebenstein-Spiele.

What's different about this puzzle - from all other pentomino puzzles for that matter - is that the pieces were cut with a 40 degree angle, making it all the more challenging. There are several shapes for you to try with the included instructions, using all or some of the pieces, but if you're used to this type of puzzles you know that there many other shapes to try and build, way too many to count.

The Pentominos "40 Degrees" were made in Siebenstein style, using different wood tones to create a dramatic effect in contrast. The shape of the tray is like three rhombi were fused together and, despite the small size of the pieces, it turned out pretty nicely, measuring 24cm x 10cm (9.4" x 4").

When analyzing the pieces, I noticed that despite there were identical pentominoes, the pieces themselves weren't identical, because of the 40 degree treatment. Even if you flip both apparently identical pieces their shape is slightly different, depending on where they belong in the tray. This can actually be turned to your advantage, since you can see where each piece might go in spite of another similar pentomino. I also found that building any shape other than the one outlined by the tray's shape is much more difficult. It's basically a visualization problem, because out of the tray it's harder to see where the limits of the shape are. I was constantly counting the units on a particular shape's perimeter to check if I was solving it correctly. The tilt on the pieces is also hard to get used to, but with practice you'll get better. The more shapes you solve, the better you adjust.

Closing Comments:

The Pentominos "40 Degrees" will keep you occupied as long as you like. The countless shapes you can build with the 20 pentominoes will surely challenge you for years to come. I applause Siebenstein for turning a known concept into something original and challenging.

Availability: You can get a copy of the Pentominos "40 Degrees" at Sloyd for €19.50. This week, you can get a 15% discount on this puzzle and all others from Siebenstein-Spiele. You just need to mention my blog upon placing your order. Offer valid until April 25.

Who doesn't remember playing Sokoban on the computer way back when? I remember playing countless levels and never get bored. The concept was very creative and made the game extremely addictive. Because I have so many fond memories of the game, I couldn't resist in getting a copy of ThinkFun's Treasure Quest, and finally play the game for real with physical tokens instead of virtual ones.

The game was designed by Harry Nelson - I don't want to say 'invented' because the concept already existed - and the 40 included challenges were created by Serhiy Grabarchuk Jr., Hiroshi Yamamoto and also the designer himself. The game isn't an exact replica of Sokoban, so there's merit of the designer in creating something different while still honoring the original.

The theme for one, is different between the two games. While the Sokoban had you reorganizing and replacing crates in different spots, in a warehouse setting, the Treasure Quest puts you in the shoes of an Indiana Jones-type character where the goal is to collect gold masks. In the Sokoban game, the crates never left the game area - the goal was to simply replace them neatly together in another part of the 'warehouse'. On the Treasure Quest, you not only have to remove the gold masks from the game board - using only one exit - but you need to worry about another rule, the arrow tokens. The arrow tokens can only be moved in the direction they're pointing, so you need to think twice about your moves before executing them. Another interesting difference between the two games is the layout. On the Sokoban, every puzzle had basically a different layout, but the Treasure Quest uses the same 7x7 game grid. Only the arrangement of the tokens change from puzzle to puzzle.

There are a few other things to keep in mind while you attempt to solve any of the 40 challenges: You can't jump over other tokens; Your character can only slide around a token and move one at a time; The green blocking tokens cannot be moved; If a gold mask gets stuck in a corner you're the one getting stuck and you need to reset the game board and start again.

The difficulty of the game slowly progresses through the four different levels, from Beginner to Expert, but even the Expert levels aren't that challenging, perhaps because I already knew the concept, but some of them can take a few minutes to figure out, and I needed to reset the board a few times. Thinking a few moves ahead will prevent a lot of resets, though.

Closing Comments:

The Treasure Quest is a great puzzle game, especially if you were (or still are) a fan of Sokoban-style games. My only gripe with it is the small number of available challenges, only 40. The Sokoban had hundreds of them. Unfortunately, this is not an exclusive problem of the game, but actually by ThinkFun themselves, since most of their multiple-challenge games suffer from the same problem. It wouldn't be asking much for at least 100 challenges included in each game.

Availability: You can get a copy of the Treasure Quest game at Sloyd for just €16.

This is quite an original puzzle by Siebenstein-Spiele. They've created a puzzle in the shape of a desk name plate with the company name. Jürgen Reiche, who comes up with most of their designs, created this unusual but very interesting puzzle.

Siebenstein-Spiele usually combines wood and acrylic to make their puzzles extra shiny and elegant, also with various tones. In the case of the Siebenstein-Puzzel they only used two wood colors, enough to make a subtle, but enhanced visual effect. There are 11 pieces, each representing a letter of the company's name, and the goal is to rearrange the letters from any scrambled position to spell the correct name. The method is simply, but quite tough to master.

There are three entry/exit points in the puzzle for the tiles to move. Actually, it's more like one exit point and two entry points. The open space in the middle is used to remove the tile directly below and when trying to solve the puzzle you should choose either the left or right entry points to place the tile. It's as simple as that. How hard could it be, right? In fact, it's quite challenging. The manufacturer classifies it as a level 6/7, so it involves some heavy thinking.

Like any puzzle where your task is to rearrange the pieces, there's always some planning ahead before you make your moves. Like a simple sliding puzzle, you might need to mess up a small section of the puzzle before being able to fix it. This back and forth thinking is the logic behind the Siebenstein-Puzzel, or any other similar puzzle. Getting there, however, is easier said than done.

I've been struggling with this one for a few months now, with off and on puzzling and, while I've been able to solve it a couple of times, I still don't know exactly the correct sequence of moves to do it. Removing and placing the tiles back and forth in the puzzle is done in a semi-random way, sometimes knowing the outcome, sometimes hoping for the best. Like experimenting with an unknown device, while studying its behavior and learning as you go. With practice, I'm sure the solution will be clearer. It's a challenge...

Closing Comments:

The Siebenstein-Puzzel is one of a kind. Simple in design, but as tough as they come. It's perhaps one of the hardest puzzles from Siebenstein-Spiele. If you like a challenge this might be the one for you. Because of its easy-to-understand goal, many puzzlers and non-puzzlers might go for it, but frustration will prevent some from solving it. If you're lucky enough to have your last name as Siebenstein, you not only get a very cool name plate, but you can also play with it. That would actually be a great idea, for a custom puzzle with your name...

Availability: The Siebenstein-Puzzel is available at Sloyd for €17.50.

Sometimes, the simpler things are the best and the most beautiful - That's exactly what I feel about Vesa Timonen's Symmetrick. Made with only two similar wooden pieces - Emphasis on similar, not identical - solving this puzzle will be anything but simple. The Symmetrick might be one of Vesa's greatest achievements in puzzle design, and already owning many of his incredible puzzles, that says a lot about this one.

The Symmetrick was Tomas Lindén's Exchange Puzzle at the 32nd IPP in Washington D.C., held in 2012. These two designers come from Finland and have collaborated in the past in what I consider one of the hardest puzzles I ever tried to solve, the Double Squared - Yes, I gave up on it and had to look up the solution.

The goal of the puzzle, like its design, it's as simple as it can be: You are asked to make a symmetric shape using the two pieces. The only rule you're told is that both pieces need to be flat on the table, not overlapping or using some kind of trick - It's that simple. Not like the Double Squared - Yes, I'm still pissed about that sneaky solution...

Now, I've had this puzzle probably for about a year - No, it didn't take me that long to solve it. The reason it took me so long to pick it up and try to solve it was exactly for the reasons stated above...that fiendish puzzle... I was just afraid it was going to take forever, again, to solve it like the other one. So, I was always delaying its review until I had the courage to tackle it and be done with it. That happened this week.

Fortunately, my fears were unfounded. At first, it was a bit difficult. The fact that both pieces have slightly different shapes is a little confusing, to say the least. My initial efforts were all unsuccessful as I merely joined the pieces at obvious spots. I knew the symmetrical shape would be something much more complex than a simple rectangle or trapezium or something. So, after 15 or 20 minutes I started with another strategy. This might contain minor spoilers: with the pieces joined at a given edge I'd started sliding the pieces slowly along that edge and see if I could spot any symmetrical shape or something closely resembling one. It took me probably another 5 or 10 minutes, but I finally discovered the solution. All I can say is that, you won't probably recognize it as a symmetrical shape right away, but don't dismiss it immediately. To my knowledge, only one line of symmetry is possible on the solution. Take some time to analyse the shapes you'll be creating and you'll eventually find it. I'm just glad it didn't take me forever.

Solution: This time, I won't publish here the solution, not even behind a button click. I believe you need to figure this one on your own and I don't want you to give up that easily. I will, however, send you a picture of the solution on request, but only if you can prove you're beyond frustrated...

Closing Comments:

Vesa's Symmetrick puzzle is superb, incredible and anything in between. It's definitely a hard puzzle, but not frustratingly hard. I know that some people will still find it frustrating. I know I was intimidated by it, and it's the designer's fault for designing some of the hardest puzzles around, but the Symmetrick is just not one of them. The solution is very elegant and I'm sure you'll love it as well.

Availability: You can get a copy of the Symmetrick puzzle at Sloyd for just €7.

Update: My puzzle friend Dimiter came up with a clever analysis for the Symmetrick puzzle and was able to solve it without resorting to simple trial and error. You can get a clue with the picture below left. Notice the lines marked denoting two different sized triangles. Dimiter also came up with a new puzzle, based on the same principle as the Symmetrick, but instead of using two pieces, you now have to make a symmetric shape with three pieces. See picture below on the right. Let me know in the comments or e-mail me if you can solve it.

Backspin, a superb Binary Arts puzzle invented by Ferdinand Lammertink over 20 years ago (1992). As many of you know, Binary Arts is now called ThinkFun and puzzles like this have become rarer, either because of lack of creativity or merely they don't want to invest in this type of puzzles. I'm more inclined to go for the latter...

The puzzle is visually very attractive, made with bright colors and a simple mechanism that is easy to understand and, most importantly, easy to solve. The size is also rather big which is nice, measuring about 15.5cm (6.1"). The movement is smooth and unrestricted, making the experience fun and enjoyable.

This concept isn't exactly unique, as you might have seen in other two-layer UFO-type puzzles, but it was enough to inspire other designs and imitations. It consists of 35 colored balls spread across 12 areas. Each area has its correspondent color, although three of them are identical in both front and back - There's only 9 different colors. Since there's room for 36 balls but only 35 are available this creates a hole and thus, making it possible to mix the puzzle with different colored balls per area.

The goal is to scramble the puzzle as much as you can - Try to put three different colors per area - and then place all balls into the same colored area. You mix the puzzle by rotating the two discs back and forth and using the free space to exchange the balls' positions.

I found that mixing the puzzle is as fun as solving it. At first, my goal was to do what I mentioned above, to have three different colored balls per area. That was accomplished quite easily, so I immediately attempted to solve it. Even it took more time to sort through all the balls, the difficulty was pretty much the same. The puzzle has two types of areas, straight and curved, but you can freely exchange balls between them without any restrictions. This was exactly why I liked it so much. It's neither an intimidating puzzle, nor a frustrating one. It's just plain fun to play with.

Closing Comments:

Backspin represents very well what Binary Arts really was. A company that took risks in new ideas and enriched the puzzle community. Yes, you can see many new puzzles and games today by ThinkFun, but the new name wasn't the only change. Something else was lost as well...

Availability: The Backspin puzzle is harder to come by these days. You can still get a copy at Sloyd for about €20.

Links:

More detailed info at Jaap's page

Vinco's (Václav Obšivač) craftsmanship is so well known and characteristic that his puzzles are easily among the most recognizable in the puzzle community. He uses different wood tones to create all these beautiful geometric patterns and sharp contrasts that it's hardly seen anywhere else. Another subtle characteristic of his work that's only noticeable with touch is the use of wax in the pieces, which not only helps to preserve the wood, but also makes it easier to slide the pieces in place.

Theo's Halfcubes is not a coordinate motion puzzle, unlike many of Vinco's designs. Instead, you'll be using its eight pieces to assemble them into several different shapes, including a cube, already assembled in the package. Like the name suggests, Halfcubes was made in collaboration with another great puzzle designer, Theo Geerinck. If one great puzzle designer can do wonders on his own, what could possible be achieved when two of them work together?

Each of the eight pieces comprising the puzzle consists of two halfcubes joined together at different angles. If you were to join two halfcubes you'd get a perfect little cube. You can actually see all possible combinations, since each piece is unique. What's fascinating about the puzzle is that you are not restricted to build just a cube out of the eight pieces. In fact, there's at least six different shapes you can attempt to solve, the cube included.

To build a shape you have to keep in mind not to leave any inner parts exposed (the two opposing triangles). You can join any two pieces together by simply connecting them with opposite triangle orientations. The cut tolerances are mostly very good and the pieces will stay connected unless you really want to take them apart. 

Solving any of the shapes isn't an easy task. Be prepared for a lot of experimentation as you go, connecting and disconnecting pieces along the way. I was able to make two extra shapes, a square with a hole in the center and a heart, and both took about 15 minutes each to accomplish. I found the heart a bit easier, but my guess is that it was pure luck. I can't be sure if it's possible to build more than the six available shapes, because of the exposed inner parts. I tried but didn't come up with anything. Nevertheless, these will be enough to give you good value for your money.

Closing Comments:

Theo's Halfcubes is a welcome change in Vinco's portfolio. It still shows his characteristic work, but brings something new and original which is great considering the hundreds of different designs in his name. As for Theo Geerinck, be on the lookout for more collaborations between these two designers. There's at least two more out there, Theo's Octopus and Theo's Box.

Availability: Theo's Halfcubes can be purchased from Sloyd for €22.18.

Links:

Vinco's Official Website

Ever since I started reviewing Siebenstein-Spiele's puzzles I always pointed to the fact I liked their designs because it reminded of Jean Claude Constantin's puzzles. There are many similarities between their work, as they use mostly wood as the main material for their creations, including various types of wood in a single puzzle. Ultimately, their designs seem unique, but there have been a couple of designs lately that makes me think their similarities are way too obvious to be a coincidence.

My only explanation is that both designers, Constantin and Jürgen Reiche, have been working closely together on their designs a few times. Pento, a puzzle produced by Siebenstein-Spiele uses the same basic concept introduced by Constantin in his puzzle Doppelschicht. Or maybe it's the other way around... I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing, considering the high quality and originality of both designers' work.

Like mentioned above, one of the best qualities of Siebenstein's puzzles - or Constantin's, for that matter - is their presentation, always using different wood colors to emphasize the overall design. Pento is no different, using three different wood tones for the pieces plus the glazed light tone for the tray. The metal screws also work great for contrast against the wood, adding the final touch of elegance into the design.

The name Pento is given because of the nature of its pieces, which consists of six double pentominoes. Yes, double pentominoes. Just like its cousin Doppelschicht, each of Pento's pieces consist of two pentominoes hinged by a screw. This allows the pieces to be rotated in any direction, making it difficult to find their correct arrangement once out of the tray. You have to think like you're solving two puzzles simultaneously, and that's exactly what you'll be doing - solving two packing puzzles at the same time.

Fortunately for me, I found the Pento puzzle easier to solve than the Doppelschicht - I can't believe I can write the word without a typo - but it was still quite challenging. Believe it or not, the position of the screws work more in your favor than against. They're strategically placed in one of the piece's units, and depending on their position on the tray, not every position will work for both pentominoes that comprise a single piece. You can use that to your advantage, making the puzzle easier as you go with less and less possible arrangements.

Of course, like any other packing puzzle, you have to rely heavily on trial and error, but with six pieces - well, twelve actually, they're double pentominoes - I reckon it won't be a problem for a seasoned puzzler. Still, it took me about an hour to solve it. The manufacturer rates it as a level 5/7 - strange scale - which I believe is pretty accurate.

Closing Comments:

I'm still on the fence about the obvious similarities between both designers' puzzles. It seems like déjà vu, and doesn't give you a satisfactory feeling like you're facing something completely new. Not every puzzle has to look completely different. I know that. But I expect much more from both designers.

Availability: The Pento puzzle is available at Sloyd for €17.50.

ThinkFun always seems to surprise us with their imaginative and creative designs. In a puzzle market filled with so many different concepts it's becoming ever more difficult coming up with fresh ideas. For ThinkFun, at least for now, that's not a problem. The game was developed by Mark Engelberg (game rules) and Serhiy Grabarchuk Jr. (game challenges).

Chocolate Fix is unlike any other logic game. It's not as easy to understand at first, but once you get to know it it'll become extremely addicting. The idea behind the game is reminiscent of Sudoku, since you use the same logical deduction to solve each puzzle, and as you place more objects in the game grid it gets progressively easier.

Chocolate Fix is also a bit different from other logic games. To solve each puzzle you have study many clues and figure out where to place all nine chocolate pieces. You need to be constantly looking to the challenge card, unlike many other games where you set the puzzle using a challenge card and concentrate only on the tray afterwards. It's much more demanding, but also much more interesting. I guess part of the reason I liked this game so much is because I used to be hooked on Sudoku puzzles and see a correlation between the two.

So what does the game consist of? You are given nine distinct chocolate pieces in three different colors and shapes. The game grid is 3x3 and all spots need to occupied for a puzzle to be solved. Unlike Sudoku, the idea doesn't have anything to do with avoiding repetition. You can have identical colors or shapes adjacent to each other or on the same column or row. The goal is just to find the correct pattern as given by the clues. The clues will vary depending on the difficulty level. They could point to a color, a shape, both, or even part of the grid, which usually doesn't tell you exactly where it is.

There are a total of 40 challenges divided in four different levels of difficulty. The beginner challenges are quite easy to get you started, but the fun starts where you reach the intermediate level, and by the time you get to expert you'll see they're as tough as any challenging Sudoku puzzle. On the later challenges, I sometimes had to take a chance and see if it some pattern worked like I thought, because the clues didn't seem enough to have a concrete answer. If I was wrong, then it should be the other way around. It's a great feeling when you're finally able to complete a tough challenge.

Closing Comments:

Chocolate Fix is not an ordinary game. Using a different kind of logic to solve the puzzles it provides a different exercise for the brain, unlike all the others in the ThinkFun range. It's a great game for everyone, puzzler or not. Good luck holding out on your "chocolate fix" after playing with this one...

Availability: You can get a copy of the Chocolate Fix game at Sloyd for €19.66.

Tantrix has been around since 1988 and was invented by Mike McManaway from New Zealand, although the origins of the puzzle are even older and with some differences. There have been many different versions of the Tantrix, but I'm going to discuss only on the Discovery one, and since I'm more into puzzles than games, I will only focus on the puzzle aspect of it, even though Tantrix is better known as a strategy game.

For someone unfamiliar with the concept, the Tantrix Discovery is the perfect set to start. It comes with 10 distinct hexagonal tiles made from Bakelite (or polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride, for short), numbered and each with three lines of different colors. The lines can be curved or straight and, when connected, the tiles form all kinds of patterns. In this case, closed loops as required for the solo puzzles.

There are so many types of puzzles you can do with a set of Tantrix tiles, especially the 56 tile set, that I'm afraid the review would be too long if I mentioned all of them. Since the Discovery set is simpler, which helps to better understand the rules, there are only a few things you should keep in mind:

 

(Click to Enlarge) - Left: Wrong arrangement (secondary lines don't match and there's a hole); Right: Correct arrangement

Links:

Comprehensive analysis of the Tantrix made by Jaap Scherphuis

One of the things I like most about mechanical puzzles is the ability of making different patterns. I have many puzzles like these in my collection and they're among my favorites. What's great is that once you solve one of its challenges there's always something different to attempt. You're not constrained to just one solution. You can also use your creativity, your imagination.

Colour Match, designed by Jürgen Reiche and produced by Siebenstein-Spiele, is one of such puzzles described above. You don't get to freely move the pieces or pick them up, due to the sliding mechanism, but you can still create several different patterns. The descriptions I've seen around about it are a bit contradictory, so I'm not sure what the main goal is. But to be honest, does it really matter? I was able to make a few patterns and each one is equally challenging, so all you really need to do is to choose a pattern you like and try to recreate it with the disks.

The puzzle consists of two handles that slide across the horizontal plane. Each handle carries four disks but it can hold a fifth one on either side at a time. Alternating between the two handles and shifting their positions you'll be able to create empty spaces along their length. At any given time you'll have two empty spaces at your disposal. Being able to create the correct sequence of movements will prove harder than it seems and it will require some time getting used to.

The patterns you choose can be anything from color or symbol. The disks are marked with either a star or a circle and there are four different colors, although the tones are harder to distinguish and more subtle between the dark and light colors. There are dozens of possible combinations of colors and symbols. For example, you can try to put all star symbols on the top row and the circles on the bottom; or you can try to put all darker colors on the bottom and the lighter colors on the top. If you want an easier challenge you can solve only by color without worrying too much about the order of the symbols, or do it the other way around and solve it only by symbols. As you can see, there are so many possibilities that you will be busy for a while.

Closing Comments:

Colour Match is such a fantastic puzzle. The ability to solve it into many different patterns surely extends its longevity and gives a good bang for your buck. It's quite challenging, so it's definitely not for beginners. Nevertheless, if you appreciate puzzles with multiple solutions this is easily a good choice for you.

Availability: Colour Match is available at Sloyd for €17.80.

Puzzle locks can be grouped in different categories, whether they're Trick Locks, sequential movement (n-ary), or simply having a unique mechanism that requires several moves, but not particularly n-ary. The Sliding Lock by Jean Claude Constantin falls into the last category of unique designs, with a mixture of sliding piece and (partially) hidden mechanism.

Constantin has designed quite a few different puzzle locks over the past years. Some of his best puzzle lock designs are actually in the n-ary category, like the Maze Lock or the Lock 250, usually requiring hundreds of moves to be opened. The sliding Lock, fortunately for the less courageous puzzlers, only needs about a dozen moves, but it doesn't mean it it'll be easy. I can guarantee it'll be less frustrating, though.

The puzzle has a nice feel to it. It's not too big nor too small, measuring 12.5cm x 8.3cm (4.9" x 3.3"), and I like its overall shape, reminiscent of an electric guitar's body. It's made of laser-cut wood, thus feeling very light in your hands, and the mechanism is comprised of three metal pegs that have the ability of sliding across the maze-like path. There's a fourth sliding piece, without a metal peg, having instead a small ball-bearing in the middle. The idea is to create a path with these four pieces so that you can lift the shackle. There are markings on the wood indicating where at least two of the pieces should be in its starting position. When you get to open the lock, you must try to close it again and return the pieces to their original configuration.

The puzzle didn't take me long to solve. I reckon it took less than 10 minutes, and most of that time was trying to figure out how to create a space for the bottom right peg to be moved and release the shackle. Once I discovered the correct move it was even easier to put the pieces back.

Closing Comments:

In the end, I didn't find the Sliding Lock very challenging, but I really liked its mechanism and enjoyed the solving process. The design could easily be adapted to a more challenging puzzle. Here's hoping for a Sliding Lock 2.0. If you like puzzle locks this is definitely a must-have.

Availability: You can find Constantin's Sliding Lock at Sloyd for just €14.90.

Links:

Jean Claude Constantin - Official Website

Jean Claude Constantin at Puzzle Place

Turnstile is a rather unusual logic game from ThinkFun. The presentation is very elegant and colorful, but can be a bit confusing to understand. As you go through the included 40 challenges, the difficulty level increases and some of them can be quite tricky to solve, putting your wits to the test.

The game was invented by Steve Hayton and ThinkFun started production in 2011. Like many of ThinkFun's logic games, there's something about this one that makes it quite addicting. The idea of going through all challenges seems like an arduous task, but as soon as you understand the concept, you'll solve them in no time.

Turnstile can be described as a dynamic maze. In other words, as you try and solve one of the challenges you'll make changes to the overall appearance of that particular maze. You need to be thinking two or three steps ahead, as a misstep in the wrong direction could mean starting all over.

The main goal is to get all four colored tokens to their respective corners, although some challenges, particularly in the easier levels, only require the use of one or two colored tokens. Blocking your way are turnstiles that constantly create new paths as you pass through them. To make your task a little more interesting you also have to worry about the gray tokens that can actually be used in your favor, to open new paths.

You start by picking a challenge from the deck. If you're unfamiliar with the puzzle you can start by the easier ones and go through the four different difficulty levels. After setting the game grid you can now move the tokens through the maze and get them to their correct spaces.

There are a few rules you need to be aware of. You can only push the turnstiles, one quarter of a turn, with a token. You move the tokens one at a time, in any direction except on the diagonal, and always to an adjacent space. If there's a token or other turnstile blocking your way it means the correct path must be through somewhere else. Just keep practicing and you'll eventually find the correct way to solve it.

Difficulty-wise, Turnstile can be pretty challenging, especially the last ones due to the large number of required moves, which also increases your chances of doing something wrong. This is not the easiest game to understand at first, and you may need some time getting used to it.

Closing Comments:

Turnstile turned out to be a great surprise. I wasn't expecting much out of it, but found it to be quite fun and entertaining, and most importantly, addicting. If you like this sort of logic games I'm sure you'll love Turnstile.

Availability: Turnstile is available at Sloyd for €25.20.

No, what you're seeing is not a Tangram set, although it closely resembles one. It has seven pieces, like a Tangram set, and you can also build countless shapes with the pieces, but it's not a Tangram set. The similarities don't stop here, though. Just like on a Tangram, the pieces are grouped in two pairs of identical pieces and three unique ones. Most of the pieces on the two puzzles share the same shapes as well, like a square, a rhombus, even a small and a big triangle are present. The BIG difference, and I mean to emphasize big, is the irregular quadrilateral shape that'll sure get you some headaches. Meet 'By the Way', a Tangram variation designed by Jürgen Reiche and produced by Siebenstein-Spiele.

By the Way comes in a nice rectangular tray with several shapes engraved on it to get you started. If that's not enough for you, the included instructions have several more. In total there are over 20 shapes to solve, and although it doesn't seem much, believe me they're more than enough given the high difficulty on some of those shapes. The presentation of the puzzle is complemented by a pallette of colorful pieces, as each one is nicely done in a different wood color. It's a relatively small puzzle, but still pretty good to handle, measuring 15.2cm x 7.4cm (about 6" x 3").

If you love to build shapes with a Tangram set, then 'By the Way' is the right puzzle for you. I should warn you though, this is a much harder puzzle than the Tangram. I also have a Tangram set and have solved many of its countless puzzles, and even though some are quite harder to solve, they can't be a match for the ones you'll face with Siebenstein's fiendish variation. 

I haven't solved all shapes included with the puzzle, mainly because it would take a lot of time and patience. I did solve a few of them, but I've encountered an issue that I'm not certain if it's supposed to be that way or I just wasn't very good at solving them. Some of the shapes appear to be solvable without using all the pieces. I've tried to solve these shapes using all seven pieces, but to no avail. Below are two of such examples.

What do you think? My guess is that I should try harder, because if the Tangram is any indication you must use all pieces to solve any of the shapes. More over, if you take into account the relative scale of the example shapes the solutions don't appear 100% correct. The provided instructions aren't clear on this subject, so until proven wrong, I have to assume that some shapes can indeed be solved without the full set. Nevertheless, this is quite a challenging puzzle and I like its high replay value. Also, just like the traditional Tangram puzzles, there are multiple solutions for each shape.

Closing Comments:

By the Way may be too similar with the Tangram to add any significant value as an original puzzle, but if you're a sucker for dissection puzzles and you like a challenge, then I highly recommend it. If you've solved all the included shapes, you still have plenty to do, as you can always create your own shapes.

Availability: By the Way is available at Sloyd for just €13.

Links:

Some interesting facts about the origins of this puzzle (Thanks Jared!)