2D Packing Puzzles allow for some of the most creative works in puzzle design. This type of puzzles is so versatile that you can do almost anything you can imagine. A great example of such creative design is Martin Watson’s Digigrams (also called Count on Me!).

Digigrams is comprised of 10 pieces representing the numbers in digital form from 0 thru 9. The goal is simple: just pack them into the provided tray. The solution is neatly packed to make the most out of the available space, due to the unusual shape of the pieces.

The puzzle is [Read More...]

This looks more like an optical illusion object than an actual puzzle. The mesmerizing pattern created by these two loops almost gives a sense of movement. Its designer is none other than Jean Claude Constantin.

The 2 Loops is actually a Packing Puzzle with six pieces. Simply remove the pieces from the tray and pack them up again. It’s deceptively easy, considering the complexity of the two shapes. The puzzle is made from two contrasting wood tones, which gives an impression that only the lighter parts can be removed and the others are part [Read More...]

In addition to his wide variety of designs, Jean Claude Constantin also makes puzzles of all types and categories. This time, I have one that requires a good amount of dexterity, the Impuls (Inertia). The German word Impuls might be interpreted to English as impulse or momentum, or as the alternate name Inertia. It’s a very fitting name, as you’ll discover when you try it for yourself.

Impuls, like any other Constantin puzzle, has a very elegant and functional design. This is quite a small puzzle, actually, measuring only 6 x 5 x 5cm (2.4″ x 2″ x [Read More...]

The Andromeda, by Philos, is a fairly well known puzzle among puzzle enthusiasts. It has been around for years, made by several companies and in various sizes. It is a little intimidating, and for good reason. It consists of 12 pieces. There are 4 shapes of pieces with 2 of each. Then there is a 5th shape, of which there are 4. This take-apart wooden puzzle is called a Burr; and there are many different ones available, and they can become very complicated and challenging. This one is given a difficulty level of 7 out of 10.  Maybe it [Read More...]

Today, I realized I’m writing the 35th puzzle review from Jean Claude Constantin. That’s way more than any other puzzle designer. I still have in my collection several more of his creations that haven’t been reviewed yet, which most certainly takes the total number to well over 50. And the sad part is that I don’t even have half of his puzzles.

My latest addition is Get Charged, a very original puzzle with a clever hidden mechanism. There are countless puzzles in the hidden mechanism family, and if you’re familiar with them this [Read More...]

Hirokazu Iwasawa is a regular participant at the annual IPP since 2004 and is known for his superb designs, some of which have won awards, like last year’s Puzzlers’ Award winner, the Square in the Bag. The puzzle I’m reviewing today is not from the IPP competition, but it’s definitely worthy of the same recognition.

The 3M Puzzle, as the name suggests, consists of three M-shaped pieces that need to be packed inside the box. It sounds easy enough. It’s just three pieces, right? – Well, these three pieces are all you need to test your patience, [Read More...]

This time I have a review of the four Karakuri Cake Boxes, 1 through 4. I picked these up from PuzzleBoxWorld.Com a family run business specialising in puzzle boxes.

Each box is an inch wide by 2 inches long, so none of these are big boxes, and by Japanese measurements would be considered as 2 sun boxes.

In general all the boxes are superbly made, and each has it’s own unique opening mechanism, making all of them worth having. None of them are difficult to open, requiring no more than 3 moves, so I had each of [Read More...]