Dragon Cube is a fascinating little puzzle from the folks over at Gotta Solve It. Invented by their chief mechanical puzzle engineer, Doug Engel, the Dragon Cube is able to transform itself is several different shapes. This was first introduced in 2000 as an exchange puzzle at the 20th IPP, then called Perfect Ring of Eight.

The puzzle is built from wood and painted with eight different colors, producing a very nice visual effect. Although I prefer wooden puzzles, in this particular case I think plastic would have been much more appropriate, since you’re dealing with colors. Paint and wood don’t always go well together, because you’re more prone to imperfections. Nevertheless, the coloring was very well done and you can hardly notice any spots or blemishes. The cube is also quite small, with 5cm in diameter (2″).

Consisting of eight different dovetail pieces, your first task is to take the cube apart. You can easily do this by removing the pieces in pairs, instead of trying to separate them one by one. Once you have all eight pieces removed, there’s a total of 14 shapes you can try to assemble them into. They vary in terms of difficulty, but overall they aren’t overly challenging to solve.

Before attempting to solve any of the other shapes, I first tried to reassemble it back into its cube form. This was the toughest of the challenges, also because it was the first time I was solving it. It must have took me about 30 minutes to have the cube shape again. After that, the other shapes weren’t that difficult to solve, and I managed to solve them within 10 minutes each. You can see three other shapes other than the cube in the photos below.

Closing Comments:

The Dragon Cube is a totally different concept from what I’m used to see in puzzles. It’s quite refreshing to see such originality and it’s rather fun to solve. The 14 shapes will surely keep you busy for a while, if you can solve the cube first, that is…

Availability: You can get a copy of the Dragon Cube at PuzzleMaster for $20 CAD.

Remember The Secret of Grisly Manor – the first foray from Fire Maple? Well, the second is The Lost City, still by the same developer. The puzzles in this game require pixel-hunting throughout the city. The player has to look at each room and find items that are added to the inventory. These items can be used later when the player checks other rooms. The city opens with flourishing waterfalls, ornate alcoves, and hidden jewels that the player has to find – looks much like a scene from one of Indiana Jones’ Movies.

The ability of the game to change seasons for each location is something that makes it standout. These changes make playing the game a lot more spectacular and magical. The game is available for iOS users on iTunes App Store and Google Apps for Android users. It is also available on Amazon.

Let’s hope the developers (Fire Maple) continue creating puzzles games, because they have a knack for the genre.

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 puzzle for all ages, and in no way daunting even to people who think “puzzles are too hard for me”. As to difficulty, it is Easy.

You can purchase this puzzle and get the solution at Puzzle Master.

Rototribute has been made by Oskar van Deventer as a tribute to David Pitcher’s award winning puzzle.  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 Shapeway’s store.

Thank you Oskar for allowing us to use your videos.  If you would like to see more of Oskar’s videos, go to Oskar’s Youtube Channel.

Copyright (c) 2013, M. Oskar van Deventer.

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. Putting it back together is not all that difficult; particularly if you pay a little attention as you disassemble it. Just be a little careful taking it apart, as once you get started, it’ll literally fall apart. One of the things that make it rather simple is that there are only 9 pieces.4 pieces are exactly alike,2 pairs which are alike and one piece that is unique. The most difficult part of the puzzle is that it requires some degree of dexterity, as it tends to fall apart until the last piece is put in.
It would be an excellent choice for just about anyone who enjoys a puzzle. After having taken the puzzle apart and re-assembling it a few times, try seeing how fast you can do it; or how about doing it blindfolded or in the dark. It would also make for a good competition, either with another or in teams say 5 per team, passing it from one to the next, till all members of each team complete it.

You can purchase this wooden in our webstore.

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 bridge; such as cables, steel, concrete pillars or wood. The player needs to use the best materials possible while staying within the budget to create the perfect bridge. Since the game allows the player to choose different materials to construct the bridge, you can build the bridge whichever way you like; the only constraint being the budget.

If you love physics puzzle games, this game will let you explore your “inner Einstein”. The game is available on iTunes for iOS users, Google App Store for Android users, and Amazon for Android users as well.

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 has two layers: the first layer is a simple pentagon, but the second layer is a combination of three spikes, with each piece displaying a distinct arrangement. When solved, the triangular spaces you see between the pentagons should be occupied by these spikes. No empty spaces shall be seen, otherwise the puzzle remains unsolved.

The floor puzzle is deceptively easy. At first sight, it looks quite intimidating, given the strange appearance of the pieces, when in fact it’s solvable within 10 minutes or so. It’s rated as a level 7/10 by PuzzleMaster, and I have to agree. It’s not very challenging. When you place the first piece in the tray, just make sure its spikes cover the empty spaces shared by the frame. From there on, I just placed the remaining pieces, always keeping in mind not to leave empty spaces. I was able to solve it without removing any piece previously packed. I’m not sure if the puzzle has multiple solutions, but seeing how easy it is to solve, I reckon it’s safe to assume it should have at least a couple more of them.

Closing Comments:

The Floor puzzle is a nice puzzle to have around. It’s not very demanding, but its design is quite intriguing. You can try to solve it more than once as well, because it’s a little hard to remember the exact arrangement of the pieces in the tray.

Availability: You can buy the Floor puzzle at PuzzleMaster for about $20 CAD. Take a look here to browse other puzzles from Jean Claude Constantin.

Links:

Jean Claude Constantin – Official Website

Jean Claude Constantin at Puzzle Place

‘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.

On a scale of difficulty of 1-5; this is a 1. The Adams Cube is actually a simpler version of the classic Chinese Tangram puzzle, having 5 pieces as opposed to 7.
It is completely durable and would withstand plenty of hard use, even in a classroom. About the only thing that could happen is if a piece or two got lost.
It does have possibilities of extending its use after the six shapes on the sides of the cube have been done.
How about seeing how fast all sides can be completed, either as individuals or by relay teams?
The classic 7 piece Tangram has literally thousands of shapes or figures that can be constructed. See how many shapes in addition to the original six can be made. One thing about this puzzle is that anyone who tries it can hope to be satisfied by completing it.
Even Uncle Harry, who can never solve a puzzle, can solve this one!!!

You can purchase this item at Amazon.

The Puzzle Dice is a beauty of a puzzle, or more appropriately what you would call a brainteaser. It is essentially a 2 3/4 inch dice that is sliced into 9, same shaped pieces. By slicing the dice this way, the pieces end up with the “spots” scrambled. Obviously, the challenge is to reassemble the dice so that the total number of spots on opposite sides always equal 7; as with the regular dice.
The Puzzle Dice is a puzzle that looks easier than it is and therefore if left around just about anyone will “give it a try”, thinking how hard could that be?
The puzzle is well made and there is no fear of anyone breaking it. Also, the puzzle will give lasting enjoyment and challenge, because if once solved; it is still a challenge to scramble and resolve or hand it to someone else to solve.
For anyone who likes to make puzzles, this would be a good one to try. All you need to have is a way of slicing a dice, the larger the better, and away you go. Simply carry the pieces around and use as a conversation piece with friends.”Look at this, my lucky dice broke, who thinks they can put it back together?”

Simply put; this is a Micro version of Rubik’s Revolution.To make it even more practical to carry around ;it comes with a sturdy chain attached,so you can clip to a zipper or use for a key chain.
The Rubik’s Revolution is a 3″ cube, this Micro version is only a 1 1/2 ” cube,;so it is only one-eighth in size.
It is also electronic and the recessed center squares light up;but only in red,where the other version the center squares light up in the same color as the sides.Also,the Micro does not “talk” to announce the different games or scores.There is no ON/OFF switch on the Micro cube;to turn on the Micro,press and hold the squares at the center of the RED and ORANGE sides. As to quality,it is very well made and should give good service.
Other than playing the games,it is a good conversation piece,but don’t overlook an nuintended use for this delightful thing.If you get annoyed by people in stores,busses,and other public places;who obnoxiously insist on gabbing away on a cell phone near you; simply pull out your Micro, and play away..they’ll get the message real quick.As the old adage goes,”never leave home without it.”

Most people are familiar with the Rubik’s Cube, where by twisting the “squares” they become mixed up and become a very difficult challenge to put back in proper order.
However; Rubik’s Revolution is a completely different type of a cube. None of the squares move at all. The center of each side is indented and has a square that can be pushed in. This cube is electronic and the center squares can light up; and by pressing the lit square, it goes out, and a different center square lights up. This is all done by an internal electronic program. The cube makes sounds when a square is “lit” or “extinguished”.  There are 6 different types of games programmed into the cube. Also a time limit is announced at the start of the game and your score(number of squares you extinguish) is announced at the end of each game. Each of the 6 sides of the cube is a different game.
It is very simple to learn how to play the games, and takes only a couple of minutes. So; what this cube really is, is something to challenge your eye and hand coordination, agility and speed. It can be enjoyed by children or adults. The more one plays with it; the better one gets at locating the “lit” square, and “extinguishing” it; and seeing how much better scores you can make.
One can play alone, trying to get better scores, pass it to others to see who can get better scores, or even have several people, each with a cube, competing with one another.
It is a real entertaining challenge. A lot of Reviews have rated it poorly, because it is not the more familiar cube; but forget about that; as it is completely different. There are a lot of other comments criticizing the quality, stickers falling off, etc.;but I find mine to be well made and problem free.
Another important thing about this product, and where it differs from the “conventional Rubik’s Cube” is that it won’t be put aside by most people who feel the conventional cube is too hard for them to solve. Everyone will want to “give it a try”.
If you happen to find the cube and there are no instructions on how to start it up, there is a small on/off switch on one of the corner squares on the red squares side. Being electronic, it has a battery that will eventually have to be replaced.
There is also a Micro version of Rubik’s Revolution.

You can purchase this puzzle at Puzzle Master.