A classic mechanical puzzle if there ever was one. I call it a classic because it has been around for probably well over 100 years. It has been made by many companies and in varying quality from real cheap to strong and heavy. This one, made of cast metal, is excellent; and will stand up to lots of use. In fact, it would take a major effort to bend or break it. It has all the elements of a real good puzzle. It is relatively easy to take apart and put back together; once the “secret” is known. A good [Read More...]

Rototribute has been made by Oskar van Deventer as a tribute to David Pitcher’s award winning puzzle, the Rotoprism 2.  You will see both of the versions in the video.  Each version has moves the other can’t do.  You have to decide from this video which is David Pitcher’s and which is Oskar van Deventer’s.

You can buy Rototribute at Oskar’s Shapeways shop.

Thank you Oskar for allowing us to use your videos.  If you would like to see more of Oskar’s [Read More...]

It’s approaching Christmas as I write this and puzzles make great stocking stuffer. The Dinosaur Egg is what is called a mechanical hand held, burr, or take-apart puzzle. It is marketed by many different companies, usually made of wood, but I suppose it is also made of plastic, or even possibly of metal. It goes by many names such a Dinosaur Egg, Football or Rugby, Mulberry, etc. As to difficulty, it is fairly simple; 1 or 2 out of 5. Some puzzles like this can be difficult to take apart, but this one is unusually easy. [Read More...]

Have you ever been to the Island nation of Camatuga? Neither have I – I don’t think it even exists. Bridge Constructor allows you to explore the Island while building bridges. Players can build their bridges over rivers, canals or even deep valleys. After the player has completed the bridge, they perform a stress test to see whether the completed bride can withstand the stress from trucks and cars that use it.

One of the best things is that the game allows the player to choose what materials to use when building their [Read More...]

Floor is another unique Packing Puzzle from Jean Claude Constantin. This unusual mosaic is reminiscent of a honeycomb pattern, albeit having pentagons instead of hexagons. The puzzle itself looks like it consists of 19 pieces, but in reality only the inner 7 pieces are removable.

The puzzle is made of three layers of what appears to be plywood. The top of the pieces are very well polished and feel smooth to the touch. Size-wise it’s a small puzzle, measuring only 12 x 10.5cm (4.7″ x 4.1″).

The pieces of the Floor puzzle are also very unusual. Each piece [Read More...]

‘Mate in 3? Ok!’ is the title of this chess app.  The program has 210 problems. There are 10 free levels and I’ve done them all.  The next 200 levels cost $1.99. Which comes to 1 penny per puzzle.

I know lots of people are reluctant to make such a purchase but are perfectly happy to spend $4.50 on a cup of coffee that lasts 15 minutes.

Red Stone for the Android OS is a new take on an old concept.  It seems easy at first; simply get the big red Android alien to the other end of the level. Once you start playing however you soon realize that this game is super addicting and very challenging. The first level is easy enough but the second level really requires some critical thinking and puzzle solving skills as you slide blocks around to get the alien to the other side.