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Showing posts with label Wooden Puzzle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wooden Puzzle. Show all posts

Companion Box

Posted on Nov 24, 2020 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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Puzzles boxes are always a treat to solve, since the solution is not evident at first glance. It's a discovery experience which not many types of puzzles can do. This puzzle, called the Companion Box, was designed by Mr. Benno and produced by PuzzleMaster. A challenging puzzle that will surely get you thinking.

The companion Box is made from polywood (not the best of materials but quite affordable) and the puzzle has a nice and intriguing design. Measuring 9 x 9 cm (3.5"), it's a relatively big puzzle that has a nice feel in the hands. Each face of the cube has a disc and eight yellow pieces in the corners. Most of the puzzle doesn't move except for one part that gives the impression of a slight movement. It's this lack of moving parts that gives it an intriguing feel, since the solution doesn't look straightforward. You can hear something inside when you shake it, which is a clue for what the mechanism might be hiding. You almost feel like a detective trying to figure out what's going on.

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Rated as a level 8/10, you know this is a challenging puzzle. The solution itself is simple if you already solved other similar puzzles, but if you can't quite figure out what's happening inside, how will you know that? From experience. By carefully analysing every aspect of it, you'll find similarities with other puzzles. But, just because you might understand the mechanism, it can still be tough to open it. Finding the right way to close it again is also challenging, but not as hard as opening it. Half of the solution is hidden away, so once you see it, it's easier to do it.

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Closing Comments:

The Companion Box was a nice surprise and has a neat solution. Anyone familiar with puzzle boxes will surely like it even if the solution has a similar movement to other puzzles.

Availability: You can a get a copy of the Companion Box at PuzzleMaster. Check out other interesting puzzle boxes.

Ten Penny Puzzle

Posted on Oct 27, 2020 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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Most packing puzzles are made with polyominoes or custom-shaped pieces in its design, and we are so used to that notion we forget that everyday objects are just as good as the traditional designs. One fine example of this is the Ten Penny Puzzle by Creative Crafthouse. I've always been impressed with their designs, and this one is no exception.

The goal couldn't be simpler. You're presented with a small wooden tray and nine pennies already packed inside. Your task is to rearrange the pennies so that an extra penny can be packed along the other nine. Everyone can understand these simple instructions, but carrying out this challenge and solve it is another thing. It's a very nice puzzle that can entertain anyone.

At close inspection, it's hard to believe that an extra coin could fit inside such a small area, but if you think about all that wasted space by the nine coins, it's just a matter of finding the right arrangement that wastes less space. Symmetrical solutions are out, since you can't get 10 coins inside with that kind of arrangement. That leaves odd solutions only, and those are the most difficult to find.

For the record, all pennies are identical in size. There's no tricks involved in the solution or any particular order in which you should pack the coins. For me, it was more of a lucky find than logic. After so many tries, some of which by less than a millimeter short of a solution, I managed to solve it. Not sure if there's only one solution, but by looking at the one provided, it did match the one I had. It's not an extraordinarily difficult or frustrating puzzle to solve. It's actually quite therapeutic to be playing with coins. Rated as a level 7/10, the difficulty is just right for even a casual puzzler.

Closing Comments: 

Incorporating coins into puzzle designs is not that uncommon to see. There's even puzzles where you have to free a coin. This design however, while being simple, makes it all the more elegant, and the fact that you have to pack an extra coin adds to the curiosity factor and just makes you want to give it a try.

Availability: The Ten Penny Puzzle is available at PuzzleMaster for just $12.99 CAD. Be sure to take a lot at some other interesting puzzles by Creative Crafthouse.

Tresor

Posted on Oct 13, 2020 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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Tresor (translated as "safe"), another superb puzzle by Siebenstein-Spiele that will put your safe-cracking skills to the test. With its captivating design and a challenging solution, Tresor has everything to keep you entertained for a while.

Made with a combination of acrylic and laser-cut wood, plus the metal pins that you'll be moving from place to place, this is a sturdy puzzle that won't break that easily. There are seven of these pins, four of them marked with dots to represent numbers. The goal is to move the numbered pins from the starting position to the numbered positions marked on the frame. This is a type of puzzle that requires heavy planning to be solved, since the inner wheel doesn't move as freely as you'd think.

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Once you get one or more pins inside the wheel to be transferred to another position, you'll be creating different blocking movements that you need to anticipate. This would already be a difficult puzzle without the movement constraint, but as it is, it gets very challenging, and frustrating at times. Even though the movement of wheel itself is smooth, it is somewhat a bit too tight when it reaches the edges. I tried to loosen it up a bit with a screwdriver, but was unsuccessful, since the screw is too tight and I was afraid I could break the puzzle. Nevertheless, the puzzle is perfectly doable as it is, and the tightness may vary from puzzle to puzzle.

Solving this is no easy feat, and the difficult of 8/10 may be a bit higher in my opinion. It took me days to solve this. There might a more efficient strategy to solve it, but I couldn't come up with one. Still, it's a nice challenge that will certainly not disappoint those who are looking for a good test to their skills.

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Closing Comments: If you've come to love Siebenstein-Spiele's puzzles, you know what to expect here. A polished design with affordable but durable materials, and above all, a well thought out challenge.

Availability: Tresor is currently unavailable, but will surely be restocked soon, so check back PuzzleMaster to see when it's back in stock. In the meantime, you can also check out other great puzzles by the German manufacturer.

Lighthouse - 3D Puzzle Box

Posted on Sep 29, 2020 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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Puzzle boxes are always fascinating objects to play with. They carry a secret that you must unveil in order open them. Some are highly challenging, others are easier to figure out, but still great pieces of art. Such is the example of the Lighthouse Puzzle Box. A true masterpiece in terms of craftsmanship that will certainly delight any puzzle enthusiast.

These puzzle boxes are made in Vietnam and they each have a unique theme. The one above is a lighthouse scene, made from different woods (no coloring) using a woodworking technique called intarsia. With this, the result is a natural looking 3D box where the only finishing touches are the polish and varnishing work.

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To open these boxes you have to find out how its locking mechanism works. It's not a difficult puzzle, but still it has an elegant two-step solution. Inside, there's a small compartment lined with velvet where you can store your valuables - Maybe not so valuable, since this is really easy to open... Perhaps as a small gift that wouldn't frustrate the receiver.

Even though this is an easy puzzle to solve, don't let that stop you from getting one of these. These are unique objects that can light up a space as a decorative object, but also as an accessible puzzle for newcomers who might then graduate to higher difficulty ones. There's so many puzzle boxes out there where the real difficulty is choosing them.

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Closing Comments:

The company that produces these boxes, Jafsons, has a large variety to choose from. Whichever one you end up choosing, I'm sure you'll love it. They are carefully crafted with the utmost attention to detail, so you won't be disappointed. Highly recommended.

Availability: The Lighthouse Puzzle Box is available at PuzzleMaster for $39.99 CAD. Be sure to check out the other available designs.

Night Shift

Posted on Sep 15, 2020 by Gabriel | 2 comments
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Night Shift is one of the most fascinating puzzles from Siebenstein-Spiele I've seen so far. It's visually stunning, it's challenging, but it's a real pleasure to play with.

Designed by Jürgen Reiche and made from a combination of acrylic, plywood and a number of different colors, Night Shift is a gorgeous puzzle to look at. The simple and yet elegant movement of the two platforms that move in perpendicular directions, shift a total of 20 small wooden squares back and forth. The small squares are divided into five different colors, which form five bigger squares, four pieces each. The goal is to mix all these squares and regroup them into their respective colors. Sounds easy, but rated as a level 10/10, you can be sure to have a great challenge in your hands.

With a puzzle of this nature, with moving and crossing platforms, smooth movement will be the key to an enjoying and fun experience. Fortunately, Siebenstein-Spiele knows how to make good and functional puzzles, which means this one is a real treat. The squares have round corners, to minimize being jammed against others, and each platform is held in place by metal screws that slide effortlessly in the wooden tracks. Everything works as it should to bring you the best puzzling experience.

I've been having a blast playing with this puzzle. Even though it's a difficult puzzle, and there's one official solution, you can always try other easier color combinations and keep playing longer. Maybe having each square with two colors instead of one; or having each square with just one of the same color. This kind of puzzle allows for more than one way to be played, which ends up giving you more bang for your buck.

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Closing Comments:

Night Shift is one hell of a puzzle. If you like good-looking puzzles with a real challenge to boot, this one's for you. Don't let its high difficulty put you off from a great puzzle. Try the other easier challenges I mentioned or just enjoy its movement and practice until you solve it. It's worth it.

Availability: Night Shift is available at PuzzleMaster for $47.99 CAD. If you like Siebenstein-Spiele, you should check other interesting puzzles by them.

Denksport

Posted on Aug 4, 2020 by Gabriel | 2 comments
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Denksport, a cleverly designed puzzle by Jean Claude Constantin for the sport enthusiasts. With multiple solutions, it will keep you entertained for a while. You won't be exercising your body, but instead your brain.

Denksport has a different twist on the 2D puzzle principle, where instead of just randomly placing polyominoes on a frame, you'll need to think ahead and strategize how each pieces is used. With eight pieces and a 6x6 frame, there will still be six empty units around the frame. With those empty spaces, you have to come up with a solution where after placing all the pieces, only identical images are shown. It's more difficult than it looks, but a very interesting concept nonetheless.

At the bottom of the frame, different images related to sports are shown scattered around. Each type of image has duplicates at different positions, so when you decide which image you're going for, the pieces have to cover all other images and leave six identical images. There are six different solutions, one for each sport represented.

This puzzle can be really challenging, since the area you can use for the pieces is always invisible and you have to picture it in your mind. You might want to actually draw the grid in a piece of paper and black out the squares that belong to the images you selected. That way you'll be able to work out better the solution.

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Closing Comments:

Denksport is a really nice puzzle with multiple solutions. Although challenging, it remains fun since there are many ways to do it. It makes for a great gift for the sports fan.

Availability: Denksport is available at PuzzleMaster for $26.99 CAD. You can also browse many other interesting puzzles by Constantin.


Ella Propella

Posted on Jul 7, 2020 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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I've reviewed so many puzzles by Jean Claude Constantin over the years that I ran out of adjectives to classify his unique designs. Probably one of the most prolific puzzle designers/manufacturers in recent history, each puzzle you try from him is bound to leave a positive impression on you. So, what to say about today's featured puzzle, Ella Propella? To put it simply, yet another impressive design.

Ella Propella - That's a pretty nice name right off the bat. And the design is something that catches your attention right away. Including a propeller, magnets and a metal sphere. What else to make this a very unique and interesting puzzle... You're gonna need some dexterity, a good amount of trial and error, but in return you'll get a high dose of fun.

The puzzle may seem confusing at first, as the movement is somewhat stuck by a pin that keeps the propeller moving. You can see what's going on below through the acrylic disc, but you have to figure out a way to make the pin drop and rotate the propeller so that the opening for the sphere can be seen. This movement is a bit of a hit or miss, because the two magnets below repel the natural movement of the puzzle. So you have to keep trying until the pin finally drops and the propeller is free.

Another good thing about the puzzle is that it has a high replay value, since you can't always solve the puzzle at your first try (you probably never solve it at your first try), so it's kind of a fun puzzle to keep around and play to release your stress. As far as difficulty goes, the level 7 is an appropriate classification, as it's challenging but not overly complex that would drive away casual puzzlers.

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Closing Comments:

Ella Propella is a really nice little puzzle (just 7.5cm or 3" in diameter), and it's an intriguing puzzle that will keep many occupied for hours. Puzzles and magnets always make for a nice combo, and this time is no different. A definite worthy choice for your collection or just to have a good time.

Availability: Ella Propella is available at PuzzleMaster for just $23.99 CAD. Check out the large collection of Constantin's puzzles also available to purchase.


Labylong

Posted on Apr 14, 2020 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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Jean Claude Constantin makes great maze puzzles and proof of that is in some of his earlier creations, like the Two Keys, the Blumenlaby, the Scheibenlaby or even the Labynary. Each one has its own unique characteristics which make them a joy to play with. The Labylong is another interesting design, made as a double-layer maze - Double the fun.

The Labylong is made from laser-cut wood and acrylic. Even though these are cheap materials, the puzzle itself is well built and feels sturdy. Measuring 10.4cm x 6.5cm (4.1" x 2.6"), the puzzle is small enough to carry along with you anywhere, and easy enough so that anyone can try it.

In this puzzle, a small metal sphere moves inside the two mazes, navigating through small holes that connect both mazes. Not all paths will lead to the exit, but that's expected in a good maze. Before making the sphere advance you should study the path ahead and see where it leads. Starting from the exit to the current position will help to avoid dead ends. To navigate the sphere you need to tilt the puzzle back and forth, since the mazes are stationary, and sometimes you need some dexterity to get the sphere where you want it.

Difficulty-wise, I was expecting a tougher challenge, since this is rated as a level 8/10, but I was able to solve it in just a few minutes. Or maybe I'm getting better at maze puzzles... If you've solved one of these, let me know how long it took you.

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Closing Comments:

The Labylong is a nice puzzle that even casual puzzlers will like it. If you found it too easy, try to solve it in a different orientation from the one you solved it, or try to go from the exit to the start. It's a fun puzzle to play with, but don't expect a difficult challenge here. Remember, not every puzzle needs to be difficult to be fun.

Availability: The Labylong is available at PuzzleMaster for $18.99CAD. Many more interesting puzzles from Constantin are waiting for you here.


C'est la Vie!

Posted on Feb 18, 2020 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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If you like labyrinths, this puzzle is for you. C'est la Vie! by Jean Claude Constantin is a great puzzle where the goal is to find the correct path and free the metal ring. This is much harder than it appears, so you should proceed with caution, in case you get lost.

Made with laser-cut wood, C'est la Vie! is quite a big puzzle, measuring about 13cm in diameter. The designer not only created a challenging labyrinth to navigate, but also a beautiful pattern with curved shapes. Across the entire puzzle you see many indentations in the walls of the pattern, which serve as gateways for the metal ring to go from one section to another. Not all walls have one of these gateways, so you have to plan your moves strategically.

Curiously, this puzzle reminds of the popular Cast Plate by Nob Yoshigahara. Hanayama's version is a lot smaller, but the goal is quite similar, as you try to free a ring from a metal plate. Both puzzles are rather difficult, so I recommend any of them if you like a good challenge.

As you start to solve the puzzle you see the ring in its starting position at the center of the puzzle (Indicated by the letter S). The exit point is located at the left edge of the puzzle, but to get there you'll need to wander for a while, because the path is not a straight line. To get from one point to another you have to be constantly rotating the ring back and forth. Some points will feel a bit tight, as if it wasn't possible to go through there, but if you insist with a slight push the ring will surely pass through. Don't use excessive force, though, because the wood used in this puzzle is fragile and you could end up breaking the puzzle.

This is quite a difficult puzzle to solve. As an experienced puzzler, it took me over half an hour to solve it for the first time. Returning the ring to the starting position is probably a little easier, but still challenging.

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Closing Comments:

C'est la Vie! by Constantin is indeed a great puzzle and a must-have in any collection. It has a complex shape, but it's very easy to understand, so even a beginner can try to solve it. With a big size and a beautiful design this will sure capture anyone's attention wherever you take it.

Availability: The C'est la Vie! puzzle is available at PuzzleMaster for $31.99 CAD. Check out other puzzles by Constantin.


Scheibenlaby

Posted on Jan 21, 2020 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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Scheibenlaby is yet another magnificent labyrinth puzzle by Jean Claude Constantin. This double labyrinth has a very original mechanism, unlike anything I've ever seen. It's very fun to play with and, most importantly, it gives you quite a challenge. Are you ready to guide the sphere to the exit?

This puzzle is quite big, measuring about 13.5cm in diameter, and it's made using laser-cut wood and acrylic. This is also a rather intriguing puzzle because of how its mechanism works. Between the two layers of the labyrinth there's an acrylic disc with three holes in it. These holes are placed at different distances from the disc's center, making it easier to go from one place of the labyrinth to another just by rotating the disc.

Starting from the entry hole, your goal is to guide a metal sphere through the double labyrinth until you can reach the exit hole on the opposite side of the frame. The name of the puzzle is very fitting, since its name in German means "Sliced Labyrinth". As you navigate around the maze, you'll find that each section is very short, and the only way to proceed is to rotate the disc and get the sphere through one of its holes and into another "slice" of the maze. You have to go though both mazes in order to successfully solve this puzzle.

Finding the exit is a little difficult, but I was able to solve it within five minutes. There are a few dead-ends here and there, but overall I think the difficulty is about 8/10. Some of you may spend some time going backwards or even returning to the beginning by accident - it happened to me as well - but it's not a frustrating exercise and you'll eventually find the exit if you insist and have a little determination.

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Closing Comments:

I really liked the Scheibenlaby. Constantin always finds new ways to build original and unique puzzles that give you lots of fun and are a pleasure to play. You don't need to be an experienced puzzler to enjoy this one.

Availability: You can find the Scheibenlaby puzzle at PuzzleMaster for $41.99 CAD. Check out other puzzle by Jean Claude Constantin.


Bike Shed Puzzle

Posted on Sep 3, 2019 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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The Bike Shed Puzzle is the second of four different Picture Frame puzzles made by Jean Claude Constantin and distributed by Recent Toys.

In this Transport Arrangements series, each with a different theme, Constantin chose four transportation vehicles, and this time, it's an eco-friendly one, the bike. Five different bike models have to be arranged within the frame, which itself has the shape of a vintage bike model. The pieces have to be arranged in a way so that they can hardly move, but not overlapping and outside the frame boarders.

This type of puzzle is a little different from the usual packing puzzle, where the pieces have straight lines and geometric shapes. In a Picture Frame puzzle, however, the pieces are irregular and the thinking process is different, where you need to see how the empty spaces can be used.

For a typical Picture Frame puzzle, the Bike Shed is quite challenging. There are lots of circular shapes to maneuver around the frame, which makes it quite difficult to do in a small area. It's a level 8/10 puzzle and I believe it's an accurate rating.

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Closing Comments:

Picture Frame puzzles are quite fun to do, since the pieces are not abstract, like squares or other geometric shapes. You can actually feel the shape of the bikes in your hands and the overall experience is much more fulfilling than a regular packing puzzle.

Availability: You can find the Bike Shed Puzzle at PuzzleMaster. All four puzzles of this series are also available.


Secret Opening Box - Spring Time

Posted on Jul 9, 2019 by Gabriel | 2 comments
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It's not Spring anymore, but that doesn't mean it's not puzzle time. PuzzleMaster has a new series of six Secret Opening Boxes, and judging from the Spring Time puzzle box, it's certainly something to look forward to.

Each of these boxes have their own design and solution, so you'll probably want to be collecting all of them to have the full experience. The boxes have really good sizes, which means more objects can be hidden inside. The Spring Time box measures 15.1 x 10 x 5.5 cm (5.9" x 3.9" x 2.2").

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The box is really well made with some good finishing touches. Although it's not hardwood, it's still looks sturdy enough and the decoration is very pretty, resembling the patterns you usually find on the Japanese Puzzle Boxes. Inside there are various hidden sections, which I think is a very clever design feature, which means that you can have more than one object hidden.

In total, there are five removable parts, following a sequence in which one part has to be removed before the other. The top lid can move somewhat freely from side to side, but it's not the first part to be removed, so a bit of thinking is necessary to overcome that first challenge.

Overall, it's not very difficult to open this puzzle box. Even though it's rated as a difficulty level 7/10, I believe this is no more than a 6. Or maybe, because I've solved many Japanese Puzzle Boxes already, this one seemed easier. Nevertheless, it's not a frustrating puzzle by a long shot.

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Closing Comments:

The new PuzzleMaster series of Secret Opening Boxes really surprised me. From the first impression I got with the Spring Time box, I can certainly recommend them, not only for their puzzle factor, but also as a beautiful decorative object.

Availability: You can find the Spring Time box and the others from the Secret Opening Box series at PuzzleMaster.


Siebenstein-Spiele

Posted on Jun 27, 2019 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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Which company/craftsman makes the most beautiful puzzles?

Another article, another contender for the coveted title. This time I return to the theme of wooden puzzles by the hand of one of German's leading manufacturers, Siebenstein-Spiele. The company started out as a board game developer and manufacturer over 20 years ago, and in the recent years branched out to the design and crafting of quality wooden mechanical puzzles that are both interesting items of exquisite craftsmanship as well as beautiful decorating objects.

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The company founder, Jürgen Reiche, is a jack of all trades, designing, manufacturing and distributing his work all around the world, at the same time competing in an ever-growing market full of great choices. To do that, he needs a constant stream of new ideas and fresh concepts in order to attract new customers, puzzlers that are always hungry for unique and fascinating new challenges.

Siebenstein-Spiele's puzzles are easily recognized by their laser-cut wooden pieces and natural colors. Their designs often combine various types of wood with acrylic and metal parts, giving different contrasts and textures to an otherwise bland and banal puzzle. Reiche cares a lot about presentation and that is clearly witnessed in all his creations, no matter how simple or complex a design is.

I usually say that Jürgen's designs have some resemblance with Jean Claude Constantin's, but I don't mean it in a derogatory or mean way. Quite the contrary. Jean Claude Constantin is my favorite puzzle designer, and despite the similarities between the two craftsmen's work, I always welcome Constantin-like puzzles. The two designers are German and have been working with puzzles for many years, so it's quite possibly they've known each other for a long time and took inspiration from each other's work. Whatever the reason, puzzle fans all over the world are the ones who benefit from both craftsmen's creativity and ingenuity.

Even though Siebenstein's puzzles have this high quality, their price is anything but expensive. Yes, you may find some of their puzzles with a high price tag, but the majority of them have rather reasonable prices, considering what they offer in terms of challenge, appearance, and of course, a rewarding and satisfying experience. That's quite an impressive feat when you compare their puzzles with other, more expensive brands.

Like any good puzzle manufacturer, Siebenstein-Spiele has a wide variety of designs and puzzle types that are certain to fascinate any puzzle enthusiast. If you're a true puzzle fan, chances are you're going to find something to like from Siebenstein-Spiele, whether it's sliding puzzles, packing puzzles, entanglement puzzles, or even the most uncommon and unique designs you can think of.

Packing puzzles are my favorite type of puzzles, and Siebenstein-Spiele has some very nice examples with superb designs. Take the Bermuda puzzle, or the Mephisto puzzle, for example. So different from one another, and yet both are equally remarkable, each with its own unique characteristics that make them fascinating:

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  • The Bermuda puzzle takes a simple concept (pack the extra piece), but is complemented with a gorgeous and functional design, made in the shape of seven sea creatures. Your task is to take advantage of its curves and recesses so that extra space is freed for the seventh piece.
  • The Mephisto puzzle, on the other hand, making clever use of wood and acrylic parts, gives you a totally different challenge by combining the 10 acrylic stripes in such a way that you should see four identical shapes within each of the 25 squares in the frame.
As you can see, even within the same puzzle type, the designer managed to create two completely distinct puzzles made with different materials.

Other than packing puzzles, sliding puzzles are among my favorites, and here Jürgen Reiche almost reinvented the genre by creating very unique and unorthodox designs unlike anything you've seen before. Below are two examples of this unique approach to the sliding puzzle category, the Colour Match and the Up & Down:

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  • The Colour Match mechanism works by sliding two handles horizontally. Eight discs in four different colors comprise this intriguing puzzle, although the goal is pretty simple. All you have to do is get each disc on the top row to match the same color of its counterpart in the bottom row. Also, each disc has one of two symbols, a star or a circle. For a tougher challenge, you need to get all discs with the stars on the bottom row. You can try and create your own challenges as well, by combining different colors and symbols.
  • Up & Down is yet another completely different concept, a twist on the classic sliding piece puzzle. With numbers from 1 through 8, the goal is to rearrange them in order from the left column down and to the right. The movement is quite unusual, since the frame moves up and down. As you push it to one of its two positions, you can move one tile at a time to the available free slot at the edges of the frame. You can also attempt other number arrangements.
Fortunately for any puzzle lover, though, Siebenstein-Spiele is not just packing or sliding puzzles. The designer creates a wide variety of puzzles, many of which are sometimes hard to even put in a single category. He also ventured into other popular puzzle categories such as n-ary puzzles (sequential movement), like the Auf dem Holzweg, seen below.

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Final Thoughts:

If Jean Claude Constantin is my favorite puzzle designer, Jürgen Reiche is probably a close second, for sharing the same philosophies of puzzle design and craftsmanship. His new creations always amaze me, for his unending ability to come up with something new and bold. As a puzzle collector and enthusiast, I can only look forward with high expectations for Siebenstein-Spiele's upcoming ideas.

Availability: You can find these and many other Siebenstein-Spiele puzzles at PuzzleMaster.


The Harbour Puzzle

Posted on Jun 25, 2019 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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It's been a while since I reviewed a Framed Picture Puzzle. I always loved these, though. It's a packing puzzle, but the pieces don't get to be all neatly packed with straight angles. Since there are empty spaces in between, you also need to carefully plan where every piece should go.

Jean Claude Constantin has a new series with Transport Arrangements as the main theme, with four puzzles like this, all distributed by Recent Toys. Each puzzle has its own theme and the one featured in this review is all about vessels you can dock at a harbour. The Harbour Puzzle has nine pieces, each with a different shape and color.

One negative side about this puzzle is that it comes in its solved state, which I completely disagree. What were they thinking? The moment you see the puzzle, you can't avoid not seeing it completed, which will surely affect the way you solve it later, since you will probably remember how some pieces were packed. You can ask someone to unpack it for you, though, which I highly recommend.

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The puzzle itself, however, is well built and despite being made from laser-cut wood, its quality is really good. The different wood colors give it a sophisticated look and elegance you can't get from using the same wood color. Compared to other Picture Frame Puzzles I have, the size is on the small side, but still quite enjoyable to play with.

As for difficulty, it's exactly how you would expect it with a puzzle of this type - quite challenging. You can't avoid being at the mercy of trial and error, but not as much as a convencional packing puzzle, since you do need to carefully think how each piece can be packed without wasting too much space inside the frame. The frame itself is irregular which will make it even more difficult.

Closing Comments:

Solving these puzzles is a quite enjoyable and rewarding. The replay value is low, since there's usually only one solution, but for less than $20, you get quite good value for your money, because it's still a rather challenging puzzle. There are four different puzzles in this series.

Availability: You can find the new Constantin puzzles and The Harbour Puzzle at PuzzleMaster for just $17.99 CAD. Check out dozens of other interesting puzzles from the German designer.


Slide Elox

Posted on Jun 11, 2019 by Gabriel | 4 comments
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Jean Claude Constantin has spoiled us over the years with his creations, with high quality puzzles and beautiful designs. As if all this wasn't already good enough, it seems this time he outdid himself. His new line of puzzles goes a step further in the quality department and the result pops out right in front of your eyes.

The Slide Elox is one of three puzzles currently being made with anodized metal. The other being the Nur 8 and the Farbenspiel 6x6. This material in contrast with the black frame makes an exquisite and unmatched striking colorful effect. Acrylic is also used for the sliding pieces, creating a perfect harmony with the metal and the laser-cut wood. The movement of the pieces is quite smooth against the wooden frame, providing a rather satisfying experience.

There are 16 small cylinders neatly placed around the perimeter of the frame, while inside, eight acrylic pieces have to be arranged so that the larger cylinders match with the same colors on the frame. With only a small gap in the frame to slide the pieces around, this will prove to be quite a challenge.

(Click to Enlarge)
Speaking of a challenge. There are actually eight of them for you to solve. Each challenge has a different starting position, meaning more moves as the level of difficulty increases, but they all share the same solution. This has been such an incredibly difficult puzzle that I only managed to solve one out of eight so far. I solved the level 2, while the level 1 has me stumped with only the two small squares being in a parity problem, where their positions are opposite one another.

Not surprisingly, this is rated as a difficulty level 9/10, as this is not your average sliding puzzle. One of the reasons is that the pieces have different orientations, where some move horizontally and others move vertically. The two small squares move more freely, but they still have their limitations when moving around the frame. It's truly a great challenge.

(Click to Enlarge) - Challenge 1 - Starting and Ending Positions

Closing Comments:

I'm a big fan of sliding puzzles. And when you combine one of my favorite puzzle designers and a beautiful, close to perfect, presentation it all clicks together in a one of a kind puzzle. The Slide Elox is now one of my favorite Constantin puzzles.

Availability: The Slide Elox is available from PuzzleMaster for $54.99 CAD. Check out also other great puzzles by Constantin.


Vinco

Posted on May 17, 2019 by Gabriel | 3 comments
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Which company/craftsman makes the most beautiful puzzles?

- Over the last few months, I've been trying to answer this question and every time I attempt to do so, I come up with several more candidates for that prestigious title. And you know what? No answer is wrong. Each one of us have our own preferences. There are many talented puzzle designers out there that fulfill our requirements of what truly makes a beautiful puzzle. My job is just to focus on one of them at a time and hope I make them justice by showcasing their fantastic work and, who knows, maybe helping you to discover a new artist you didn't know about.

My previous articles have highlighted the creations of the highly popular Hanayama's Cast Series, the magnificent Japanese Puzzle Boxes and the prolific Jean Claude Constantin. This time, I will focus on another incredibly talented puzzle designer and maker, Václav Obšivač.

Born in 1962 in the Czech Republic, Václav Obšivač - better known in the puzzle community simply as Vinco - is an avid fan of skiing and biking, but what gets him the most recognition is his exceptional craftsmanship working with local wood. His puzzle-making adventure started in 2001, and since then, he has created countless designs, many with several versions featuring different types of timber.

Vinco mainly makes two types of puzzles, each one quite impressively made: packing puzzles (2D and 3D) and coordinate-motion puzzles. He has also ventured intro other types of puzzles, but I will focus more on the two mentioned above, since they're the ones that have been fascinating more puzzle enthusiasts all over the world.

First, let's start with the coordinate-motion puzzles. The term invokes something that seems difficult to achieve, as if you needed to be extremely dexterous to solve it. Well, in fact, it's not far from reality, because you do need some dexterity skills to solve these puzzles, especially when you're reassembling them.

So what exactly are coordinate-motion puzzles? As the term might've suggested already, you need to coordinate all your moves simultaneously in order to take apart or put together all the pieces of each specific puzzle. Each move will affect all pieces in the puzzle at the same time, and any other moves will result in no progress whatsoever. The best example to explain this is a figure, seen below, where all three pieces have to be pushed in at the same time, thus locking the puzzle until an opposite move can take them apart again. (figure courtesy of John Rausch from johnrausch.com)

(How Coord. Motion Works)
From this simple example you can then move on to much more complex structures and interesting shapes, naturally with more pieces. This is exactly what Vinco excels at better than anyone, and to prove it you can see below a few extraordinary examples of some of the most impressive geometrical shapes he makes.

(Coord. Motion Puzzles)
Not only do Vinco's designs impress visually, but the texture of each puzzle is also remarkable. To get a perfect finish on his puzzles, Vinco polishes and waxes each one so the pieces slide easily on and off the puzzle and have an extra smooth surface, but also to protect the wood itself against dust and other elements.

Vinco's coordinate-motion puzzles are strikingly beautiful. What contributes most for this is the high contrast between the various types of wood used in his puzzles. Vinco does this very effectively, from two up to several different colors, depending on the design and shape of the puzzle he's working on. The contrast always helps in the solving process, as the lines that separate the colors are usually the edges of pieces that move. You just have to discover in which direction they slide away from each other.

Another popular type of puzzle Vinco excels at is packing puzzles...extremely difficult packing puzzles. Just like its coordinate-motion brethren, this type of puzzles have a very distinct way of being made. Vinco takes small oddly-shaped pieces and glues than at different angles, resulting in even odder and bigger pieces. As expected, these puzzles are very challenging, perhaps harder than his coordinate-motion range.

(Packing Puzzles)
Vinco's packing puzzles may not be as visually attractive to some as the above examples, but in my opinion they're as impressive as any of his other types of puzzles. Packing puzzles come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and Vinco's are no different. Whether it's a 2D or a 3D puzzle, the design always gains from Vinco's great sense of style, with his contrasting wood colors and odd shapes. No two pieces are the same, which means that the patterns created are some of the most remarkable currently seen in the market.

There's another puzzle type by Vinco that I find quite fascinating, which is the interlocking spheres. Currently, I don't own any of these, but judging from the eye-candy designs and shapes, I can only imagine they're as extraordinary and beautiful as any other I've tried from this talented craftsman.

(Interlocking Spheres)
Final Thoughts:

Vinco is among the best puzzle makers around, and when it comes to wood puzzles it's almost impossible to find any faults or imperfections in his work. He's very passionate about what he does, and that's clearly visible with his incredible works of art, worthy of every penny they cost. If you have yet to discover the works by Vinco, please do yourself a favor and buy one, or two, or three...as many puzzles as you can and enrich your collection. You'll certainly not be disappointed.

Availability: You can find many of Vinco's puzzles at PuzzleMaster.

Links:

Vinco's Website


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