If there ever was a tantalizing puzzle, the Prison Block Puzzle has to be it. It has a difficulty of 2 out of 5.  It is very solid, made of cast metal, 3″ X 3″ X 1″ thick, and fairly heavy. It consists of a movable bar trapped, with a rotatable “handle”, inside a container. The challenge being to remove the bar or “prisoner”.  It seems the bar, though loose, is simply too large to get out; and there seems to be only so much you can do to get it out. I played and jiggled it [Read More...]

This 15 Puzzle is one of the all time most popular puzzles – right up there with Rubik’s Cube. I have loved puzzles of all kinds ever since I was a kid, over 70 years ago. The 15 Puzzle was probably my first puzzle and it has always challenged, entertained and fascinated me. I have had many, many versions of it over the years. This one by Binary Arts/ThinkFun is one of my favorites for several reasons. It is extremely well made of metal, the tiles slide exceptionally well and do not fall out, and [Read More...]

Fit to a Tee Golf Puzzle is a “sister” to The “Fifteen Puzzle” by the same company. They have been around for quite a while. Mine has a date of 2001 and made by Binary Arts; the company is now called ThinkFun. It is made of metal and very solid. The data shows the shipping weight as 2 pounds; but the puzzle is nowhere near that, maybe 1/2 pound at the most; and can easily be carried in the pocket; except for one thing. If you look at the “1 [Read More...]

Most magic tricks are quite simple – when you know the secret. This little Magic Box, 3″ X 2″ X 1 1/2″, will stump just about everyone who sees it for the first time. It is made of fairly thick clear acrylic plastic. It will withstand a good amount of usage; but certainly can be broken if excessive and unnecessary force is used on it. This is true to most brainteasers and should never be given to macho types who relish in breaking them and handing them back broken, saying,”There, solved!!” I also have one of these [Read More...]

The Cyclone Puzzle is a very entertaining, challenging and beautiful product. It comes with a suggestion of a difficulty level of 7 or 8 out of 10.However; I think that is a little high and lessens once one gets some idea of how it fits together. First of all, the pieces are all identical in shape. In this case, there are several different colors. It can be assembled with the colors as shown, or any which way you desire. This one produced by Lagoon Group is of very good quality. They have [Read More...]

There are a plethora of “Tangram” like puzzles that have a long history and provide immense enjoyment challenge and entertainment. When I see the name Hanayama on a puzzle, I immediately think of the wonderful cast puzzles that they have made, and are very popular. To give you an Idea of the history and what a popular puzzle the Tangram is, you might check “The Tangram Book”, or “The Anchor Puzzle Book” by Jerry Slocum. This “Lucky Puzzle” has been around for many years and has been called the “Cross Breaker” Puzzle”,or Kreuzspiel, when introduced in 1892.For more [Read More...]

If you are looking for a puzzle or game that will appeal to all ages and one that can be learned to play in seconds; Hoppers fits the bill. This is basically a Solitaire Peg game and based on a game,”The Great Thirteen”,and comparable to many “peg” or “checker-board” games that have amused a wide range of people over the years. This particular version by Thinkfun is very similar to one by Binary Arts. Thinkfun is the same company that used to go by the name of Binary Arts. Both versions look almost identical. My Binary Arts version has 12 [Read More...]