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Puzzles Sorted by Difficulty (hardest first) |
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Lucky Clover
Picture is deceptively pretty: the pieces do not hold together when solved and don't have a high-quality feel to them. Once you undo the arrangement, the thing dissolves into a messy tangle. I've taken it apart, but haven't put it back together, largely because of how much of a nuisance it is. It takes way too much dexterity to isolate the pieces and keep track of the position. (Thus, the difficulty is a guess.)
Type: Dis/Entanglement
Acquired: October 2006
Difficulty: 5/5
Rating: 4/10
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Rubik's Cube / Square One
Both of these are good examples of sequence puzzles - the available steps are immediately obvious, but figuring out a solution takes a long time. I figured out how to solve the Cube in college and have since forgotten the method. Never did solve Square One.
Type: Sequence/Pattern
Acquired: 1990s
Difficulty: 5/5
Rating: 6/10
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Dovetail Burr
I initially dismissed this puzzle as a boring sequence once, because it came apart into 8 dissimilar pieces. It lay around on my table for a while after that, without me being interested in solving it. Eventually, I looked at the instructions so I could put it together to donate it. However, it became apparent (as I was putting it together) that it was supposed to be 6 pieces (3 identical). Two of the pieces had been broken on arrival. By then, the solution was spoiled, so I finished it from instructions, and am still planning on donating it. I don't recommend this puzzle, just because of the poor workmanship/quality, but if it were better-built, it would be pretty good.
Type: Dis/Assembly
Acquired: February 2007
Difficulty: 4/5
Rating: 4/10
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Cast Nutcase
From the Hanayama Collection. Very pretty and well made. Unfortunately, it's quite frustrating, partly because (necessarily) the alignment needed is not flush with the edges of the bolt. Nevertherless, I think they could have made the bolts identical without taking away from the puzzle. The solution does have an aspect of insight I like, however.
Type: Dis/Entanglement
Acquired: January 2007
Difficulty: 4/5
Rating: 8/10
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Cast News
From the Hanayama collection.
Pro: Aesthetically beautiful, and the real solution is very elegant.
Con: There's no way to arrive directly at the solution. Too much of a leap of faith involved. With a hint, it could be fantastic.
The hint (rot13'd):
Gur gjb cvrprf ner vqragvpny.
Rnpu cvrpr vf flzzrgevpny nobhg gur gjb cynarf crecraqvphyne gb gur snpr (nfvqr sebz gur qrpbengvir yrggrevat ba gur fhesnpr).
Nofbyhgryl ab sbepr vf erdhverq. Jvgu gur pbeerpg fbyhgvba, gur cvrprf yvsg ncneg sebz rnpu bgure.
Type: Dexterity
Acquired: June 2006
Difficulty: 4/5
Rating: 7/10
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Varikon
This is a decent sequence puzzle - there is a basic sequence of steps that quickly leads to the solution. I think it's the least frustrating sequence puzzle I've seen.
Type: Sequence/Pattern
Acquired: 1980s
Difficulty: 4/5
Rating: 5/10
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Cast Baroq
From the Hanayama Collection.
Pro: Beautifully made and the solution has some very aesthetically pleasing steps.
Con: Halfway through, there is a step that requires non-negligible force. Presumably due to manufacturing imperfections, but unfortunate.
Type: Dis/Entanglement > Alignment
Acquired: August 2006
Difficulty: 4/5
Rating: 8/10
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Dinner Bell / Tinker's Bell / Tinker's Bell (different)
Given to me by sabletiger, Landon, dnguyen.
A complex disentanglement puzzle, somewhat confusing because it's not obvious what is allowed and what isn't. Interesting solution. Forget whom it's from, exactly (it's not from all three).
Type: Dis/Entanglement
Acquired: 2005
Difficulty: 4/5
Rating: 7/10
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Riddler
Solves the same as Barrel. A bit more challenging because the pieces are more similar to each other, and the overall shape not obvious. Unfortunately, the pieces do not make a very tight fit.
Type: Dis/Assembly > Kumiki Barrel
Acquired: June 2006
Difficulty: 3/5
Rating: 5/10
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Cast Elk
Given to me by tigerpricess, sabletiger.
From the Hanayama collection. Very pretty and well made, the solution is elegant, the challenge is good. Pretty much the only negative is that there are four directions to attempt, and only one yields the solution, but it's a minor quibble.
Type: Dis/Entanglement > Alignment
Acquired: December 2006
Difficulty: 3/5
Rating: 9/10
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Star Box
Although this is a one-piece-is-the-key puzzle, it's not obvious how to put it together and there are several steps needed to operate the key. Good balance of challenge/elegance.
Type: Dis/Assembly
Acquired: 2006
Difficulty: 3/5
Rating: 8/10
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Tree Puzzle
Given to me by tigerpricess, sabletiger.
This has the distinction of being the most complex of my three (7 steps, I think, which is to say, 27-1, I think) Chinese Patience puzzles, and the one that requires the least dexterity.
Type: Sequence/Pattern > Chinese Patience
Acquired: 2006
Difficulty: 3/5
Rating: 6/10
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Centipede / Catacombs / Patience
Given to me by mashats, increp.
This is the classic version of the puzzle. Requires a good bit of dexterity, which is one of my less honed skills.
Type: Sequence/Pattern > Chinese Patience
Acquired: 2005
Difficulty: 3/5
Rating: 5/10
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Desperado / Steps
Given to me by Landon, diana_nguyen.
Nice looking, and the setup makes it look suitably impossible.
Type: Sequence/Pattern > Chinese Patience
Acquired: 2005
Difficulty: 3/5
Rating: 7/10
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Cast Spiral
From the Hanayama Collection. Very pretty and well made.
Pro: Not too difficult to take apart, and the solution for that part is elegant.
Con: The pieces are dissimilar, so to put it back together, you have to get them in a certain order. That makes for an annoying sequence puzzle. My recommendation is not to mix up the pieces.
Type: Dis/Entanglement
Acquired: August 2006
Difficulty: 3/5
Rating: 8/10
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Cast Heart
Given to me by sabletiger, tigerprincess.
From the Hanayama Collection. Pretty, but the chain means you will need some dexterity. Solution is good, not too difficult if you've done other puzzles of this sort. Fairly elegant overall.
Type: Dis/Entanglement
Acquired: December 2006
Difficulty: 3/5
Rating: 7/10
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Jigsaw Puzzles
These are pretty much by definition pattern puzzles. We have a few, and they fit nicely into the 'sequence/arrangement' category, so I figured I'd include them. I'm okay with them, but don't really seek them out.
Type: Sequence/Pattern
Difficulty: 3/5
Rating: 3/10
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Porcupine
Given to me by grandmother on my mother's side.
From the IQ Collection series. The manufacturer's description states that this puzzle is "genius-level" and encourages you to "manipulate wooden rods" (yay juvenile humor). This thing is challenging because you can't see the interaction of the rods, and memorizing them really would take a genius. Fairly easy to solve with a sheet of paper and some time, though.
Con: Too big.
Type: Sequence/Pattern
Acquired: May 2006
Difficulty: 3/5
Rating: 5/10
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Wooden Nest / Locked Nest
One of my favorites, just because of how it looks when assembled.
Pro: Despite the haphazard appearance, the construction is not too complicated, provided you can make a basic start.
Con: Takes time to rebuild, even once you know how to do it.
Type: Dis/Assembly
Acquired: 2006
Difficulty: 3/5
Rating: 9/10
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Star Puzzle
Similar to the 6-piece burr, and in fact, the outer shape is identical to the transparent-plastic version. However, whereas the above 6-piece burrs have 3 types of pieces, this puzzle's pieces are all identical. That means there is no 'key' piece, and so the solution is not quite as obvious. It's somewhat more loose than the 6-piece burr, and pulling on any two opposite pieces causes the thing to expand and fall apart. It can then be put back together in two ways - the hard way (by reversing the expansion, which requires quite a bit of dexterity), and the easy way, which is fairly elegant.
Type: Dis/Assembly
Acquired: July 2006
Difficulty: 2/5
Rating: 7/10
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Six-Piece Burr
From 'Brain Benders' by Pavilion. Assembly puzzle of the six piece burr, similar to the examples of Diagonal 6-Piece Burr above. All the pieces are dissimilar, so solving it is a matter of figuring out the right combination. Annoying. Plus, it's poorly made, doesn't really hold together.
Type: Sequence/Pattern
Acquired: August 2006
Difficulty: 2/5
Rating: 4/10
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The King
Decent-looking, but the solution is of the 'find the right alignment by guessing' sort. Not very interesting.
Type: Sequence/Pattern
Acquired: February 2007
Difficulty: 2/5
Rating: 4/10
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Sandpiper
Given to me by mashats, increp.
Balancing puzzle. The official solution is interesting, but there are more ways to solve it than that.
Type: Dexterity
Acquired: May 2006
Difficulty: 2/5
Rating: 4/10
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Jailbreak
Decent puzzle, and fairly attractive. Simple, but requires a reasonable amount of insight.
Type: Dis/Entanglement
Acquired: February 2007
Difficulty: 2/5
Rating: 7/10
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Barrel / Barrel (variant)
Pieces are dissimilar, but out of necessity for the shape, not just for the sake of confusion. Reasonably elegant solution overall, easily repeated once known. Fairly well-balanced in terms of challenge / elegance.
Type: Dis/Assembly > Kumiki Barrel
Acquired: 2005
Difficulty: 2/5
Rating: 8/10
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Pentagle Woodchuck
From 'Brain Benders' by Pavilion. Several types of pieces, two keys. Looks imposing when you see the number of pieces, but actually pretty simple. Requires dexterity to assemble, poorly made.
Type: Dis/Assembly
Acquired: August 2006
Difficulty: 2/5
Rating: 4/10
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Third Dimension
From 'Brain Benders' by Pavilion. One key, the rest of the pieces are identical. Pretty simple once you figure out the desired shape. Requires some dexterity to assemble, and it's poorly made, so doesn't really hold together.
Type: Dis/Assembly
Acquired: August 2006
Difficulty: 1/5
Rating: 4/10
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Casper / Handcuffs / Horse Shoe / Wire 6 / Old Shackles
Given to me by sabletiger, Landon, dnguyen.
Basic starter disentanglement puzzle. Forget whom it's from, exactly (it's not from all three).
Type: Dis/Entanglement
Acquired: 2005
Difficulty: 1/5
Rating: 4/10
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Transparent 6-Piece Burr
A variation of the 6-piece burr made of transparent plastic, and with the outer shape of Star Puzzle. It's pretty, but shoddy due to its age.
Type: Dis/Assembly > Diagonal 6-Piece Burr
Acquired: 1990s
Difficulty: 1/5
Rating: 5/10
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Spherical 6-Piece Burr / Soccer Ball
Plastic 6-piece burr. Mine is from some convention, with a company logo.
Type: Dis/Assembly > Diagonal 6-Piece Burr
Acquired: 1990s
Difficulty: 1/5
Rating: 4/10
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Arch Rival
Given to me by mashats, increp.
Looks complex, but the solution is pretty straightforward. The phrasing of the challenge is a bit odd, though.
Type: Dis/Entanglement
Acquired: May 2006
Difficulty: 1/5
Rating: 3/10
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Cupid / Jester
Given to me by parents.
Slight variation on Casper, above, via the addition of two pieces. A bit more difficult, but similar solution.
Type: Dis/Entanglement
Acquired: July 2006
Difficulty: 1/5
Rating: 5/10
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Wooden 6-Piece Burr / Similar to This
Given to me by parents.
Nice-looking 6-piece Burr.
Type: Dis/Assembly > Diagonal 6-Piece Burr
Acquired: May 2006
Difficulty: 1/5
Rating: 6/10
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Yin Yang
Not as appealing as the picture, and the pieces don't fit tightly together (in fact, it's their looseness that permits a solution). The solution is inelegant and almost purely alignment-based.
Type: Dis/Assembly
Acquired: October 2006
Difficulty: 1/5
Rating: 3/10
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Star of David
Given to me by parents.
This is a Magen David broken up into six pieces (~1990s). While it is ostensibly an assembly puzzle, it is pretty obvious what needs to be done, all the pieces are dissimilar, and arriving at the solution is just a matter of figuring out the proper arrangement, which is why it falls here.
Type: Sequence/Pattern
Acquired: 1990s
Difficulty: 1/5
Rating: 4/10
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Name Unknown
Two circles with string, from 'Metal Madness' by Pavilion. Very basic disentanglement, almost not a puzzle at all.
Type: Dis/Entanglement
Acquired: August 2006
Difficulty: 1/5
Rating: 2/10
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Cast O'Gear
From the Hanayama Collection. Very pretty, and has an interesting motion. But the solution (or arriving at it) involves mostly guesswork, and is not too difficult.
Type: Sequence/Pattern
Acquired: January 2007
Difficulty: 1/5
Rating: 6/10
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Twin Tangle
From 'Metal Madness' by Pavilion. A rare interesting alignment puzzle, this is the only one in the 'Metal Madness' set worth getting/playing with.
Type: Dis/Entanglement > Alignment
Acquired: August 2006
Difficulty: 1/5
Rating: 6/10
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Eights
From 'Metal Madness' by Pavilion. Moderate alignment.
Type: Dis/Entanglement > Alignment
Acquired: August 2006
Difficulty: 1/5
Rating: 3/10
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Double Twist
From 'Metal Madness' by Pavilion. Three-step alignment (have to get the small piece from one loop to the middle to the other loop and then out).
Type: Dis/Entanglement > Alignment
Acquired: August 2006
Difficulty: 1/5
Rating: 3/10
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Double G
From 'Metal Madness' by Pavilion. Basic two identical pieces alignmnet, two steps.
Type: Dis/Entanglement > Alignment
Acquired: August 2006
Difficulty: 1/5
Rating: 3/10
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