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This is what the PuzzleMaster's Indiegogo project wants to achieve - To offer enthusiasts around the world a new set of fascinating puzzles that not only look stunning, but also will give you the challenge you're looking for. Read on to see how you can make this project a success.

Indiegogo is a crowdfunding website where you can get support to launch all kinds of new and innovative products. If your project gets enough backers or supporters and reaches a predetermined goal, you'll have enough funds to create your vision.

PuzzleMaster's vision is to launch a new set of anodized aluminum puzzles from world-renowned designers that will surely put your best solving skills to the test and will also enrich your collection. For backers, there will be different sets to choose from depending on the puzzles that you want. Check out the official project page for more info. Below, I will make a brief introduction about each puzzle, and at a later date will also write a full review, so stay tuned.

The Main 3 Puzzles

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Slideways - Level 6

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This is designed by Ray Stanton, who has designed some great coordinated motion puzzles before. The Slideways uses this concept to join together three pieces that, when solved, will be interlocked. With a gorgeous purple color, the Slideways is a bit different from the traditional three-piece burrs where no coordinated motion is used, but a set of sequential moves instead. Here, you will need to find out how the pieces come apart, which is not that difficult, but the main challenge is figuring out how to put it back together, since you have to do it simultaneously for all three pieces. It's a really interesting concept that I've had the pleasure to play with many times before.

Lattice - Level 10

Dirty Dozen - Level 9

The Reward Puzzles

The following eight puzzles are currently available on PuzzleMaster, but they will get a discount when you choose one of the three puzzle sets on the Indiegogo project. They are also made from high quality materials, so you'll get a great set of puzzles at a discount.

Triad - Level 7

Victory - Level 7




Trick Lock #7 - Level 7




Phantom - Level 8


Made by Mr. Gong from China, the Phantom is a beautifully-made red sphere consisting of three flat and round interlocked pieces. Each piece has different shapes cut inside them, which won't make much difference when you're taking them apart, but will surely confuse you once you're trying to put it back together and deciding where each piece fits. It's a simple puzzle, but don't underestimate it. Easy to disassemble, but a pain to reassemble.

#1 Puzzle - Level 8




SuperNova - Level 8

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Fortress - Level 9




Quad L - Level 9

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.

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.

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The Cast Slider looks like it could be one of those sliding lock devices, which at first glance doesn't look like anything special... Until you take a closer look. The movement is surprisingly satisfying, like a fidget toy. You can keep playing with this indefinitely, even if you don't plan on solving it.

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Now, regarding Hanayama difficulty rating, it's yet again way off the mark. Level 3/6 it is not. It took me quite a while to figure out the solution for this one, and it was basically a fluke, so to speak. This is at least a level 4/6. As you fiddle with the puzzle, certain movements you do are more a reflection of your fidgeting and less a product of your logic reasoning. After a couple of follow up tries I was able to understand how exactly the solution works and it is indeed quite fascinating. It's hidden in plain sight and almost as obvious as the actual simple movement of the puzzle.

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The Cast Slider is in my opinion one of the best Hanayama puzzles of the last 5 years. It's no wonder that it took the Top 10 Vote Getter award at this year's IPP (International Puzzle Party). The simple but elegant solution and the great movement of the puzzle combines for a wonderful puzzling experience. Vesa, you did it again!

Availability: You can get a copy of the Cast Slider at PuzzleMaster. Check out other interesting puzzles in the Cast family.

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The name Zauberseil means "Cotton Rope" in German - it's a rather fitting name, since the rope used here is made of cotton. As you can see, the rope is also much thicker than the usual string puzzles and less malleable, so it's a little harder to maneuver it. It's also shorter than other puzzles, but here it could be considered a good thing, because it's more difficult to create undesired knots. The frame is made of thick metal, so even if you apply some force it won't easily bend and deform the puzzle.

The Zauberseil is made of three metal parts, a large ring and two identical U-shaped pieces. These pieces are entangled together with the rope to form a devilishly difficult puzzle that will surely put your skills to the test. I believe only the rope can be freed from the puzzle, but it's possible that one of the U-shaped pieces could be removed as well.

The puzzle is, in my opinion, at least a difficulty level 9/10. I couldn't solve it yet, so I believe it's as difficult as they come. Judging by the nature and design of the puzzle, I suspect that the solution is only a couple of steps, but they surely are very well hidden under the apparent simplicity of it. If you like a good and near impossible challenge, then this is a perfect puzzle for you.

Closing Comments:

The Zauberseil by Jean Claude Constantin is not a puzzle for everybody. It can become extremely frustrating to solve if you don't have any previous experience with this type of puzzles. However, if you feel courageous enough, then solving it will provide a truly rewarding experience.

Availability: You can find the Zauberseil at PuzzleMaster for just $10.99 CAD. For more Constantin puzzles, click here.

CubiKo is another interesting concept from Colombian designer Nelson Robayo. A few months ago I reviewed Nelson's Boli-Loco, which was also a pleasant surprise.

CubiKo, as the name suggests, is a cube with 12 interconnected tubes that move in three directions. Each color group only moves in two directions, but when combined with the others, you can move the small sphere inside in all directions, navigating in a see-through maze. The goal is to go from A (Start) to B (Finish). Sounds simple enough, but there's a lot of planning and strategy involved.

Each tube has at least one opening, which allows for the sphere to travel across the cube. You can look at the cube as a tall skyscraper, and the tubes as a series of elevators that can get you anywhere around the building. It's a very clever design that you will surely have lots of fun with.

The challenge in itself is a bit difficult. Even though the cube and the tubes are transparent, sometimes it's hard to find a clear path and see where exactly is the entrance to a particular tube. It's not frustrating to the point of giving up, but don't expect an easy ride. The tubes move smoothly, but the ball seems just a bit too large. At times you need to jiggle the puzzle a little to make the ball fall inside.

Closing Comments:

These puzzles from Colombian designer Nelson Robayo are a real treat. I like his fresh ideas and the puzzles are really fun to play with. CubiKo, in particular, is a puzzle that will appeal to all ages, especially young and curious minds. Highly recommended.

Availability: CubiKo is available to purchase at PuzzleMaster, along with others by the same brand, Mind Matters Toys.

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").

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.

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.

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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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Which company/craftsman makes the most beautiful puzzles?

...The eternal question...

So far, I've been focusing on companies that make wooden and metal puzzles - my favorite - but there are other companies out there that make beautiful puzzles with other materials, for example, Plastic - such a simple and common material, used in pretty much everything you see around you, and that includes puzzles, Twisty Puzzles, to be more specific.

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The reason why Meffert's puzzles are so popular is mostly due to his close relationship with the community's top designers and how well they all work together. He not only invents and makes his puzzles, but he also mass-produces other designer's puzzles. In turn, these top designers have themselves a close relationship with all the puzzle community, they participate in the forums, they take and give advice on puzzle making and designing, they get feedback and, ultimately, they inspire a new breed of designers that, in the long run, will be the future of the Twisty Puzzle industry. In short, there's isn't any other company with a practical and efficient business model as successful as Meffert's.

As mentioned above, Meffert's first puzzle was the Pyraminx, which is also his most popular puzzle, having sold millions of copies - only the original Rubik's Cube has sold more. Since then, Meffert's has produced more than a hundred different Twisty Puzzles - many of which essential to any starting collection - some variations, and other types of puzzles as well.

One of Meffert's most recognizable features in his puzzles is the fluorescent sticker colors. Its six-faced puzzles have a color scheme of green, blue, pale orange, bright orange, yellow and pink. Such bright colors make Meffert's puzzles stand out among other more bland-colored puzzles. It's like your Meffert's puzzles are the stars of your collection.

Fluorescent colors are nice, but Meffert's puzzles would be too generic if they'd make all their puzzles look the same. Variety is the key word for the success of Meffert's - A lot of variety. Another popular material used in Meffert's puzzles is tiles. These colorful plastic tiles are glued on the surface of the puzzles and are a nice alternative to the stickers, since they can't be peeled off. Not that their stickers peel off that easily, though.

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Contributing for its ever more popular brand, Meffert's created in 2010 the Jade Club - An exclusive membership that includes two very special puzzles, not available anywhere else, and discounts on recently released puzzles. These two puzzles are called Jade Pyraminx and Jade Cube, and they look absolutely gorgeous.

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Some of Meffert's puzzles acquire over time some rarity and can even reach prices in the hundreds of dollars in auction. This is sometimes due to the limited production numbers, and when they're all gone you can't get them the regular way, hence the crazy high prices. It can also be a smart investment. If you buy several copies at the time they're released and let them gain rarity over time, you can get a nice profit.

Final Thoughts:

With the current business model Meffert's has, it will be a long while before we see the number of new puzzles dwindling. Always at the forefront of new ideas and concepts, at the same time keeping close to the people that know a thing or two about Twisty Puzzles, Meffert's has a bright future ahead, and I'll be sure to keep an eye out for what's to come.

Availability: You can find dozens of Meffert's puzzles at PuzzleMaster.

Links:

Meffert's Official Website

The GearShift is quite a striking puzzle. With just four gears, which complete an image of an Ouroboros, you'll be puzzled for a while trying to put it together.

Although not exactly the same, the concept is similar to Constantin's Modern Times, where you also had to spin four gears to create a pattern. The idea in these puzzles is that the cogs in the gears don't complete an entire circle. There are gaps which allow them to rotate independently from the other gears at certain positions. With these movements you'll be able to recreate the original pattern. Sounds easier than it actually is.

Although the puzzle is made from plastic, the movement is surprisingly smooth. The hardest part is definitely the solving process, which will take some practice. You have to figure out how all the gears interact with each other and at what points they can be rotated independently. Understanding this logic is the key to solve it.

I did find it quite challenging, since you have to be very careful not to mess up what you already did while trying to get the other gears in place. Sometimes you need to undo what appears to be a half solved puzzle so that the other gears can be rotated. It might feel a bit frustrating at first, but with patience you'll eventually solve it. It has a difficulty level of 8/10, and I think it's a correct classification. It's a difficult puzzle, but by no means impossible to solve.

Closing Comments:

This is puzzle you can solve multiple times and still have fun every time. Even if you're not attempting to solve it, just playing with it is quite stress-relieving. There's also another version with Disney characters.

Availability: You can get your GearShift at PuzzleMaster for just $19.99 CAD.