Passion For Puzzles

blog for interesting items

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ThinkFun Shape By Shape http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/2018/10/thinkfun-shape-shape

  Thinkfun is one of the best brands that manufactures fun games and puzzles for all ages. It’s the same company as Binary Arts. ThinkFun Shape By Shape is a spin-off from their other puzzle Square by Square but is created with a more challenging twist.

It consists of 14 geometric shapes placed in a tray and 60 cards in the drawer. Each card provides a different challenge. There are six red and eight yellow pieces.

Each card displays a figure shape which needs to be replicated using the red and yellow pieces. This game is quite similar to the classic Chinese puzzle Tangrams. The Tangrams have seven pieces and require only six red pieces to complete the figure, therefore making it a little easier. The bigger challenge is to fit the remaining eight yellow pieces into the tray.

When it comes to the difficulty level of the cards, some are more challenging than the others. You may notice that there is a clue and a solution at the back of each card. You can solve each card easily within a minute. Another thing you may notice is that there is a possible symmetry in some of the solutions.

This game can be played by more than one person. All you need to do is shuffle the cards and use a timer for each challenge. You can also challenge yourself and track your time.

There are numerous ways to play this game whether you’re playing solo or competing in teams. This is a game that will challenge you to use your imagination.

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Optical Illusions and Puzzles http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/2018/10/optical-illusions-puzzles

There has been a huge number of Optical Illusion books published over the past several years. The Optical Illusions and Puzzles is one of the many books that showcase unique and entertaining puzzles. However, the quality of construction and printing particularly the details of many of the illustrations are quite poor compared to others.

There are scant details about the creators of the illusions but nothing about the history of illusions. At the same time, there is nothing new that has not already been published in other books. There is no attempt at explaining the visual science involved in creating these illusions.

The book is not credited to any author or editor. In fairness, this book is may be of interest to someone who has not seen a lot of illusions. However, it falls short because there is not even a bibliography compared to other types of Optional Illusion books.

If you are interested in Optical Illusions, whether for yourself, a classroom or as a gift to others, I suggest you check out several others listed here on Amazon and read the customer reviews. You might be able to find better enjoyment with other books.

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Use Your Head Unlimited Baseball Smarts Pyramid 20 Piece Puzzle http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/2018/09/use-head-unlimited-baseball-smarts-pyramid-20-piece-puzzle

The Use Your Head Unlimited Baseball Smarts Pyramid Puzzle is an excellent puzzle that appears to be simple at first. The challenge is to make sure that the balls are attached in pairs of different colors. At first attempt, you might think it’s easy to solve. However, as you go along, you’ll find it challenging to play.

You can try to solve it in your mind and try to find a pattern. There are 20 balls attached in 10 pairs. After multiple tries, here are some of the things I’ve discovered.

Bottom layer: 3-Orange, 2-Blue, 2-White, 2-Green, 1-Yellow

Second layer: 1-Green, 1-Blue, 1-White, 2-Yellow, 1-Orange

Third layer: 1-White, 1-Green, 1-Blue

Top layer: Yellow

What makes this a fun and entertaining puzzle is that both novices, as well as advanced puzzle solvers, will love it.

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Oblo Puzzle Spheres Multi http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/2018/09/oblo-puzzle-spheres-multi

  The Oblo Puzzle Spheres Multi is a delightful puzzle for all ages. At first impression, you’ll immediately think that this game is designed for little kids. However, many adults have tried to solve this game and play with it for quite some time.

This puzzle appears simple than it really is and is fun to try. After all, one of the things that makes a good puzzle is the simplicity of it. Anybody who randomly picks it up can quickly get the idea of what needs to be solved. However, the reality is, this game isn’t easy to solve.

Some kids will amaze you how they appear better at solving puzzles than adults. Once a child gets the hang of this puzzle, it will definitely provide lots of entertainment. People can compete with each other to see who can solve it faster. This puzzle is a fun exercise.

You can even challenge yourself and try to solve this blindfolded. Anyone who is able to finish this puzzle will be very pleased with it. Solving this game will provide hours of fun for anyone who likes puzzles.

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Mag-Nif Inc. Four Square Puzzle http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/2018/09/mag-nif-inc-four-square-puzzle

Mag-Nif Inc. Four Square Puzzle is an ingenious little puzzle. The pieces will remind you of four ice cubes that appear stuck together with an olive oil frozen in one of the cubes. The puzzle looks great but it isn’t immediately clear what the purpose of the ball is.

At first look, it seems impossible to move the ball from one cube to another. However, the objective of the puzzle is to free the ball. Once you look at the edges closely, you’ll be able to notice that there are areas that have thin cracks while others have none at all.

All you need is to twist, push or slide the pieces. Eventually, you’ll be able to open the cube and set the ball free. However, the fun doesn’t stop there and the really enjoyable part begins when you put the pieces back together.

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3D Magna Puzzles Tropical Reef by Gamewright (4100-2) http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/2018/09/3d-magna-puzzles-tropical-reef-gamewright-4100-2

The 3D Magna Puzzles Tropical Reef by Gamewright is an interesting puzzle. This game consists of 16 squares made of magnetic material.

This puzzle uses a technique called lenticular printing to create the 3D effect. This is achieved by printing the picture in very thin interlaced slivers behind the plastic lens. The lens enlarges the slivers so that they appear uninterrupted across the sheet.

The 3D effect is achieved by tricking your brain into thinking that some objects are in front of others while each of your eyes shows a slightly different image. Your brain thinks that it can see past an object with one eye but not the other. As a result, some of the pictures appear to float in front of others. The 3D effect is reinforced by slight movements of the images.

Since the puzzles have magnetic backs, the pieces stay in place when assembled. It is pretty simple to set-up, especially if you use the picture but it gets a little more challenging without it. This puzzle is available for purchase at Amazon.

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WEDGiTS Deluxe Set – 30 Piece Set http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/2018/08/wedgits-deluxe-set-30-piece-set

  I first came across this puzzle about 15 years ago at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. There was a booth that was displaying and selling this puzzle. After watching the demonstration, I soon saw the potential of this toy.

I bought a 15-piece set and my 8 grandchildren simply loved playing with it. They liked it so much and I ended up giving it to one of them and bought another. Kids and adults both love this game.

If you think the 15-piece set is a lot of fun, wait till you get several more. It’s a fun way to occupy your hands and mind. The puzzle parts are made of very durable and colorful plastic.

According to the booklet, there are many structures you can build it with. However, kids or adults often end up making their own structures. The possibilities are endless.

Similar to playing with Tinker Toys and Lego, using more pieces simply adds more fun to the game. If you are looking for an entertaining toy, you can’t go wrong with the WEDGiTS Deluxe Set – 30 Piece Set. This puzzle is available for purchase at Amazon.

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Pyramid Puzzle (Set of 2) by Uday – Trick http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/2018/08/pyramid-puzzle-set-2-uday-trick

The Pyramid Puzzle (Set of 2) by Uday – Trick is considered as a classic puzzle. For this game, you are actually getting two puzzles. It is manufactured in wood material but there are many versions in plastic.

This puzzle is easy to carry in your pocket and is very indestructible. All 4 pieces are identical to each other. You can try giving it to 2 people and give each 2 pieces to see who can build a pyramid first. Another option is to give 3 pieces to someone and ask them to build a pyramid.

No matter how much they try, it will be impossible to do it. Once they give up, you can show them how to build a pyramid with only two pieces then tell them nobody said you had to use 3 pieces. The extra piece was actually meant to fool them.

This puzzle is available for purchase at Amazon.

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Wonder (Zig Zag) Rope Trick http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/2018/08/wonder-zig-zag-rope-trick

If you’re looking for a simple magic trick, you probably won’t find any game that’s better than the Wonder (Zig Zag) Rope Trick. This rope is a great choice if you want to practice on becoming a magician. It is durable, simple to use and doesn’t require any practice.

The only thing that could go wrong is that the ends of the rope might start to fray from overuse. Once this happens, all you need to do is to simply put some white glue on both ends and allow it to harden. It will become as good as new. This puzzle is available for purchase at Amazon.

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POOF-Slinky 0X120 Ideal One Tough Puzzle, 9-Pieces http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/2018/08/poof-slinky-0x120-ideal-one-tough-puzzle-9-pieces

Like other good puzzles, the POOF-Slinky 0X120 Ideal One Tough 9-Piece Puzzle has been around for some time. What makes it exceptional is that it is not intimidating. Although it looks easy, it will provide you with lots of challenge and entertainment. This game is suitable for people of all ages.

Since it has 9 pieces, it is easier to put together compared to a Jigsaw puzzle. While it may only take a couple of minutes to play, it is evident that this little gem appears tougher than it looks. Although it isn’t clear when it was invented and who created the first puzzle, this particular one is made by The Great American Puzzle Factory Inc. in 1989. The mere fact that they are still selling this design clearly shows its continuous popularity.

However, one of the reviewers was less than enthusiastic because his uncle apparently solved it in just five minutes. According to his uncle, it was easy to solve using the back side of the pieces.

It is easy to determine which side of the pieces of this double-sided jigsaw puzzle are front and back. The reviewer may want to consider asking his uncle to try the “The Ultimate Puzzle.” The mechanics are similar to this puzzle but consists of 25 pieces. The material is made of plastic and the both front and back of the pieces are the same.

There seems to be only one solution to this puzzle. Meanwhile, “The Ultimate Puzzle” offers 4-piece, 9-piece, and 25-piece challenges. It is a real test for anyone who has mastered the “One Tough Puzzle.” This puzzle is available for purchase at Amazon.

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Rubiks Pen Puzzle http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/2018/08/rubiks-pen-puzzle

Rubiks Pen Puzzle is an excellent pen that you can buy for yourself or perhaps give it as a gift to someone who enjoys playing with Rubik’s Cubes or puzzles. You must be able to solve the Rubik’s Cube which acts as the cover of the pen.

Since it is a 1 x 3 cube, even your uncle, aunt or grandma can learn to play by themselves. Once they solve this puzzle they will surely feel satisfied.

The pen itself is well-made but a little bit overpriced. Plus, the pen cannot be replaced once it runs out of ink. At the same time, you cannot use the Rubik’s Cube cap on another pen.

The cap has a cord and ring which can be used as a zipper tab or you can attach it to a key chain. Although it is indeed a nice pen, the price is too much for a ballpoint pen. This puzzle is available for purchase at Puzzle Master.

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Hanayama Level 1 Cast Puzzle Bike http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/2018/07/hanayama-level-1-cast-puzzle-bike

The Hanayama Level 1 Cast Puzzle Bike is an excellent game and is rated with a difficulty level of 1. Despite being an easy challenge, it is suitable for both young and experienced puzzle enthusiasts. In fact, this will challenge and entertain people of all ages.

This puzzle is created by Hanayama and is impressively well-constructed. This bike puzzle is similar to other brain teasers where the solution is often more difficult than it seems. The objective of this puzzle is to “free” the ring.

The value of this item continues even after you solve it. A good way to test your skills is to see how fast you can solve the problem. To add more difficulty, try solving it without looking at the puzzle.

Remember, there are only two pieces to this puzzle. First is the bike itself and the other one is a tiny ring which needs to be removed. Since the ring is small, it can be easily lost, dropped or misplaced.

The bike puzzle is an excellent choice for puzzle enthusiasts since it is easy to understand and all it takes is patience and perseverance. This puzzle is available for purchase at Puzzle Master.

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Mi-Toys Bamboo Wood Puzzle 9 (difficulty 7 of 10) http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/2018/07/mi-toys-bamboo-wood-puzzle-9-difficulty-7-10

  The Mi-Toys Bamboo Wood Puzzle 9 is an excellent puzzle and is one of the most popular “burr” puzzles. It has been around for many years and comes in various sizes, qualities, and prices. This puzzle has a difficulty rating of 7 out of 10.

This particular game is just about the size of your hand. It is made from excellent quality, is very attractive and at the same time, challenging to solve. This game can be fun, tricky, and difficult to play with.

The material is made of laminated light and dark bamboo wood. Bamboo puzzles are quite attractive and unique. However, the design is already common and is considered as classic.

This puzzle is easy to take apart. In fact, the parts will fall apart once you pick it up in a certain way similar to a house of cards. Nevertheless, the real fun begins when you put the pieces back together.

There are six identical pieces and it becomes apparent how you must fit each part together. Although it may seem obvious as to where you should put the pieces, the challenge, however, is to put the parts together without making the entire puzzle collapse.

This is an entertaining and intimidating game that young, old, new, and experienced players can have fun playing with. This puzzle is available for purchase at Puzzle Master.

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The Tangled Ring http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/2018/07/the-tangled-ring

The Tangled Ring is an excellent puzzle that is suitable for all ages. Similar to other puzzles sold in the market, it has the same basic puzzle parts and has been around for quite some time. This puzzle is created by several companies making it quite popular with puzzle enthusiasts.

There are others types of similar puzzles sold on Amazon including the Eureka, Eureka 3D String Puzzle (Narrow Escape), and Lord of the Rings. These puzzles are sold at different price points.

The base isn’t part of the problem solving and merely acts as a nice display stand. The ring may be made of metal or wood depending on the type of puzzle you buy while the balls can either be white or colored.

The puzzle solver’s objective is to remove the ring. The ring or blocks should pass through the slot while the balls should also be able to pass through the ring. However, the blocks should not go through the ring.

At first, it appears impossible but with a little perseverance, smart thinking, and gentle movement, you can complete its release. This puzzle looks simple rather than intimidating. Plus, it is made from high-quality materials and won’t easily break. This puzzle is available for purchase at Puzzle Master.

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Aha! Double Rings http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/2018/07/aha-double-rings

The Aha! Double Rings is an amazing puzzle that has entertained people for a years. This brainteaser is manufactured by several companies and is built with different types of materials. This particular ring is made out of plastic parts but most double rings usually consist of metal rings.

The goal is to separate the two rings but before you start doing this, you should observe how the rings are joined together. At first, you’ll notice that the rings are identical and there is no way one ring can pass through the other since there isn’t any opening.

This game includes two string loops that are both in the same size and both are too small for either ring to pass through. Since the string loops are flexible, it appears that one may pass through the other. However, that step isn’t possible either because of the plastic rings.

This is what makes this a brain twisting puzzle. Figuring out what should pass and where it should go through is quite mind- boggling. The quickest way to achieve your objective is to just cut the string but of course, it will totally destroy the goal of the game. Take note that forcing rings apart isn’t the solution either.

The best way to solve the problem is to observe the details one by one. This game is simple to play yet hard to figure out. It’s a great conversation piece during gatherings. Once you figure out the trick, you can show it to your friends and ask them to solve the problem. This puzzle is available for purchase at Puzzle Master.

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Tangram Puzzles 500 Tricky Shapes to Confound & Astound http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/2018/06/tangram-puzzles-500-tricky-shapes-confound-astound

Tangram Puzzles 500 Tricky Shapes to Confound & Astound is an excellent Tangram set. Tangram pieces or also known as “Tans” are made of wood which are almost ½-inch thick. These pieces are quite large and when assembled in a square, measures 4×4 inches.

The set comes with a book that offers 500 Tangram puzzles to solve. It has a coil binding, durable cover, and a place to store the “Tans.” Just carefully open the package without destroying it so that you can reuse it to store the pieces.

The 500 puzzles are represented by groups of Birds, Buildings, Cats, Convex Shapes, Shoes, Tools, Transportation, Vases, Dogs, Geometry, Tools, Heads, Households, Lamps, Large Animals, Paradoxes, People, Rabbits, Sea Life, and Spirituality. This set is almost identical to “The Tangrams Pack” by the same author, Chris Crawford.

The big difference is that there are usually 2 sets of Tangrams made of plastic while this set has one set made of wood. If you’re interested to know more about Tangrams, we strongly recommend “The Tangram Book” by Jerry Slocum. You can purchase this book and puzzle at Amazon.

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IQ Twist http://www.passionforpuzzles.com/2018/06/iq-twist

  If you like puzzles, you’ll definitely love the IQ Twist. There are several games such as “Lonpos” and “Kanoodle” that are quite similar and they all offer a large number of puzzles or challenges. These puzzles are designed for a single player but if you have more than one set, time challenges can be arranged where more than one person can compete against another to determine who can complete the same puzzle the fastest.

While “Lonpos” and “Kanoodle” have pyramid building puzzles, the IQ Twist does not. However, this puzzle has 7 pegs that are placed in different locations and numbers. There are 8 pieces that you need to place into the playing board.

The challenge is to fit one of the holes from the pieces over a peg of the same color. This puzzle is made of sturdy plastic material and comes in a durable plastic case to store the pegs and pieces. Also included is a booklet that is made of high-quality paper with color illustrations as well as the challenges and solutions.

The puzzles are arranged in 5 different levels of difficulty ranging from Starter, Junior, Expert, Master, and Wizard. Size-wise, it is a little larger than a deck of playing cards which makes it convenient to carry around particularly when traveling.

These puzzles will provide you with many hours of entertainment and challenges. You can purchase this puzzle at Puzzle Master.

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