2014 Puzzle Design Competition

Entries

The Design Competition Guide (photos, instructions, and relevant notes) is available here.

The following is a summary of the 63 entries in the 2014 competition (click on images for larger photos). All designs are copyrighted and are the intellectual property of the designer. All rights are reserved.

All-Edges Coverage

Designer: Iwahiro (Hirokazu Iwasawa)
Goal: Cover the all edges of the hexagon with the band so that the all six holes are screened off from both sides.

Materials: Acrylic board, nonwoven fabric
Classification: 1.2. 3-D Assembly

Notes: No undue force is required.

All-Edges Coverage

Animal Cube (Goat, Cabbage and Wolf)

Designer: Evgeniy Grigoriev
Goal: This is a Rubik's Cube with thematic restricted movement:

  • A face with goat cannot go past the face with cabbage
  • A face with a wolf cannot go past a face with a goat

Materials: 3D-printed plastic
Classification: 5.4. Rotational

Purchase: Order DIY kit from Shapeways, or contact designer by to buy an assembled and painted puzzle.

Animal Cube (Goat, Cabbage and Wolf)

Art Nouveau

Designer: William Waite
Goal: Pack all six pieces into the tray.

Materials: Various solid woods
Classification: 1.1. 2-D assembly puzzle

Purchase: Available at www.puzzlemist.com.

Art Nouveau

BQTTLE

Designer: Sándor Bozóki
Goal: The cap must not be unscrewed.

  • Remove the chain from the ring.
  • Loop back the chain on the ring

The cap must not be unscrewed.

Materials: Glass, metal, rubber
Classification: 4.3. Disentanglement string puzzle

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

BQTTLE

Brush Up -- Brush Off

Designer:Art Tyst
Goal: Disassemble, reassemble

Materials: Wood, plastic, metal, bristles
Classification: 3.2 Interlocking

Purchase: Limited edition, no longer available.

Copy Device

Caramel Box

Designer: Yasuhiro Hashimoto, MINE (Mineyuki Uyematsu)
Goal:

  • Pack the three teak pieces into the box.
  • Pack the three reddish brown (pao rosa) pieces into the box.

Materials: Steel, Wood (teak, pao rosa)
Classification: 1.2. 3-Dimensional assembly

Purchase: Available ONLY in Japan at PUZZLE of MINE * WEB-SHOP. Cost: 6,000Ą.

Caramel Box

Cassette

Designer: JinHoo Ahn
Goal: Take the four pieces apart, and restore the original shape.

Materials: Aluminium
Classification: 4.4. Disentanglement
Cassette

Cast U&U

Designer: Kyoo Wong
Goal: Separate the two U-shaped bolts.

Materials: Metal
Classification: 4.1. Disentanglement

Cast U&U

Claws of Satan

Designer: MINE (Mineyuki Uyematsu)
Goal: Disassemble the three pieces from the plate. Flip the board, then re-assemble the three pieces inside of the plate.

Materials: Steel
Classification: 3.6. Miscellanrous Interlocking

Claws of Satan

Complementary P-arity

Designer: Namick Salakhov
Goal:

  • Disassemble.
  • Reassemble to restore the given shape.

Materials: Vinyl
Classification: 5.6. Miscellaneous sequential movement

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

Complementary  P-arity

Conjuring Conundrum

Designer: Louis Coolen, Allard Walker
Goal: Open the briefcase. Then assemble the pieces found inside to form a magic-themed image.

Materials: 3D printing, metal wand, acrylic pieces
Classification: 2.1. Trick Opening; OPN-BOX and 1.1. 2-D Assembly; ASS-STRA

Conjuring Conundrum

Copy Device

Designer: Hiroshi Yamamoto
Goal: Arrange the three pieces in the tray to make two green areas that are identical.

Materials: Acrylic
Classification: 1.1. Silhouette

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

Copy Device

Coronation Cube

Designer: Richard Gain
Goal: Assemble the seven different pieces to form a 5 x 5 x 5 cube.

Materials: 3D printed PLA
Classification: 3.2. Interlocking solid

Purchase: Puzzles can be 3D printed by request. Price Ł30 + P&P.

Coronation Cube

Cross Links

Designer: Mike Toulouzas
Goal: Disassemble; reassemble.

Materials: Wood: cocobolo, paela, ebony, mahogany
Classification: 3.2. Trick Opening; OPN

Purchase: Visit www.puzzzlevision.com, or contact the designer by . 11 puzzles are made for now and are to be sold at IPP.

Cross Links

Cubic Dress

Designer: Yasuhiro Hashimoto
Goal: Wrap a cube with the looped cloth. (Fasten it with a clip so as not to come off.)

Materials: Cotton ,wood (teak), alminum
Classification: 1.2. 3-Dimensional assembly

Cubic Dress

Day and Night

Designer: Dimitar Vakarelov
Goal: Interchange the rings.

Materials: Wood, plastic, and perlon rope
Classification: 4.3. String Disentanglement

Purchase: Contact the designer by ; price: $20; several hand made puzzles

Day and Night

Diagonal Slit Folding Paper #1

Designer: Tsugumitsu Noji
Goal: Fold the paper to separately make two different patterns:

  • IPP/34
  • LON/DON

Materials: Paper
Classification: 9. Paper folding

Diagonal Slit Folding Paper #1

Digi Fork-Lock

Designer: Namick Salakhov
Goal: Free the slider, and then re-lock it completely.

Materials: Vinyl
Classification: 5.6. Miscellaneous Sequential Movement

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

Digi Fork-Lock

Don't Shout Box

Designer: Phil Tomlinson
Goal: Open the box: eight moves.

Materials: Wood: walnut, maple, sapele, etc., satin pre-cat lacquer
Classification: 2.1. Trick or secret opening puzzle

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

Don't Shout Box

Dubio 64A

Designer: Lucie Pauwels
Goal:

  • Make a 4x4x4 cube using all the pieces.
  • Make 2 cubes using all the pieces.

Materials: Wood
Classification: 1.2. Put-together

Purchase: A smaller version will be available for sale, via , or visit designer's blog.

Dubio 64A

Ei Ei Ei

Designer: Albert Gübeli
Goal: Place the four pieces into the tray so that all twelve outside faces of the rhombic dodecahedron (egg) are the same color.

Materials: 3d print, colored by the inventor
Classification: 1.2. 3-D Assembly; ASS-POLY

Purchase: Available at www.albinegri.ch; price $80.

Ei Ei Ei

The Fairy's Door Puzzle Box

Designer: Mike Toulouzas
Goal: Open the box; close the box.

Materials: Wood: mahogany, oak, maple, katalox
Classification: 2.1. Opening puzzle; OPN

Purchase: Visit www.puzzzlevision.com, or contact the designer by .

The Fairy's Door Puzzle Box

Five Worms

Designer: Frederic Boucher
Goal: Arrange the five worm-like pieces (light wood) so that all the green and red pieces (felt) form a second layer and fit within the delimitation of the worms. After you successfully solved the puzzle, you will discover what happened with the worms!

Materials: Wood, felt
Classification: 1.2. Put-together

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

Five Worms

Football Match

Designer: Diniar Namdarian
Goal: Move the football from the right to left goal (without leaving the second layer).

Materials: Acryl
Classification: 5.3. Sliding Piece

Purchase: Contact the designer by ; price: 25€.

Football Match

4 in 1

Designer: Victor Lam, Kazakh Wong
Goal: Assemble any four parts into the big mouth.

Materials: Acrylic
Classification: 1.1. Put-together

Purchase: Contact the designer by ; price: $20.

4 in 1

42

Designer: Yael Friedman
Goal: Disassemble, and reassemble the 42-piece ring.

Materials: Nylon
Classification: 3.1. Interlocking

42

Frustrating Mosaic

Designer: Anthony Steed
Goal: Assemble the dodecahedron without opening the box.

Materials: Laser-cut acrylic, 3D printed PLA, magnets, wood
Classification: 6.4. Miscellaneous dexterity

Frustrating Mosaic

The Golden Ratio Box

Designer: Peter Wiltshire
Goal: Open the secret compartments.

Materials: Roasted birds eye maple, padauk, curly maple, and aluminum
Classification: 2.1. Trick or secret opening box

Notes: No banging or hitting required.

The Golden Ratio Box

Grant's Tomb

Designer: Kim Klobucher
Goal: Remove the sarcophagus from the glass enclosed tomb and then free Grant from the sarcophagus.

Materials: Assorted hardwoods, brass inlay, glass slide cover
Classification: 2.1. Puzzle Box.

Purchase: Puzzle may be purchased at Kcubedesigns.com; price: $540.

Grant's Tomb

Infinity

Designer: Kirill Grebnev
Goal: Remove the rope loop.

Materials: Wood, nylon
Classification: 4.3. String Disentanglement; TNG

Purchase: Visit Grebnev's Puzzles.

Infinity

Ladybird

Designer: Robrecht Louage
Goal: Remove the coin.

Materials: Trespa, acryl, pins
Classification: 5.6. Sequential Movement

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

Ladybird

Ms. Pack-Man

Designer: Chris Enright
Goal: Fit the five pieces flat within the tray.

Materials: Acrylic, PC/ABS
Classification: 1.1. 2D Put Together - Packing - Dissimilar Pieces

Ms. Pack-Man

Naked Secret Box "BLUE"

Designer: Akio Yamamoto
Goal: Open the box, and take all pieces apart.

Materials: Acrylic board
Classification: 2.1. Take-Apart / OPN-BOX

Purchase: Manufactured version is available at Puzzle Shop TORITO, Japan.

Naked Secret Box

NumLock

Designer: Goh Pit Khiam
Goal: Remove the pieces from the cage, and reassemble.

Materials: Wood: cherry, canarywood and East Indian rosewood
Classification: 3.6. Miscellaneous Interlocking Solid

Notes: The front panel can be removed to quickly reset the puzzle.

NumLock

One Flower

Designer: Osanori Yamamoto
Goal: Assemble two pieces at center of the frame.

Materials: Wood
Classification: 1.2. Interlocking

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

One Flower

Ooban

Designer: Kohno Ichiro (Kichiro)
Goal: Place the three broken oval coins (all parts) into the pipe with both lids.

Materials: Plywood, paper pipe
Classification: 1.3. Miscellaneous Put-together

Notes: This puzzle is influenced by Iwahiro's Mmmm puzzle.

Purchase: Contact the designer by ; price: $40.

Ooban

Paper Clip

Designer: Dmitry Pevnitskiy, Kirill Grebnev
Goal: Remove the chain from paper clip.

Materials: bronze, wood
Classification: 4.3. String disentanglement

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

Paper Clip

Pent-cil Box

Designer: Jerry Loo
Goal: Pack all the 12 pentominoes and the pencil fully into the box.

Materials: Wood: wenge cherry
Classification: 3.2. Interlocking solid

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

Pent-cil Box

Perplexing Pyramid

Designer: Simon Bexfield
Goal: Make a regular tetrahedron from the two hinged plates.

Materials: Nylon
Classification: 1.2. 3-D Assembly, 9. Folding; FOL/INT

Purchase: Contact the designer by ; price Ł20.

Perplexing Pyramid

Pillow Packing

Designer: Bram Cohen
Goal: Pack the six pieces into the box.

Materials: Nylon, plastic, rubber
Classification: 1.2. 3-D Assembly

Pillow Packing

Pirate's Wallet Puzzlebox

Designer: Robert Yarger
Goal: Open box to discover two secret compartments.

Materials: Wood: ambrosia maple, yellowheart, redheart
Classification: 2.2. Take Apart

Purchase: Visit Stickmanpuzzlebox.com.

Pirate's Wallet Puzzlebox

Power Tower

Designer: Goh Pit Khiam, Jack Krijnen
Goal: Disassemble and assemble.

Materials: Wood: bubinga, hornbeam
Classification: 3.4. Interlocking

Power Tower

RingInt

Designer: Yael Friedman
Goal: Disassemble and reassemble the ring.

Materials: ABS plastic
Classification: 3.1. Interlocking

RingInt

Rollin', Rollin'

Designer: Sam Cornwell
Goal: Slide the block from one end to the other, rolling the cylinders out of the way as you go.

Materials: Soft oak,hardboard, and found dowel
Classification: 5.3. 2-D Sliding Pieces

Rollin', Rollin'

Safari Clues Cube

Designer: Steve Winter
Goal: The ultimate challenge is to assemble the six pieces into a cube. There are 40 simpler challenges, each described on a card by illustrating the set of aminal figures to create on the outer surfaces.

Materials: Plastic
Classification: 3.2. Interlocking Solid

Notes: There are pegs and slots on the surfaces of the pieces which controls part movements and adds another level of interlocking to this cube puzzle.

Purchase: Available at designer's Shapeways shop, or contact the designer by .

Safari Clues Cube

7-4-2

Designer: Lucie Pauwels
Goal: Make two crosses with the seven pieces.

Materials: Acrylic
Classification: 1.1. Put-together

Purchase: Available for sale by , or on designer's blog.

7-4-2

Simpleda

Designer: Ede Gergényi, Péter Gál
Goal: Remove the string and put it back.

Materials: Wood, rope
Classification: 4.3. Disentanglement with string

Simpleda

Six Cube

Designer: Evgeniy Grigoriev
Goal: Rubik's Cube mod appears like a six-piece burr.

Materials: 3D-printed plastic
Classification: 5.4. Rotational

Purchase: Order DIY kit from Shapeways, or contact designer by to buy an assembled and painted puzzle.

Six Cube

Six Locks: Two Keys

Designer: Simon Nightingale
Goal: Open the box using the two keys. For safe keeping the keys are stored inside the locked box!

Materials: Corion, acrylic, and metal
Classification: 2.1. Trick Opening; OPN

Notes: No force is required.

Six Locks: Two Keys

Six Ring Circus

Designer: Eric Harshbarger
Goal: Interlock the six rings to create a sphere.

Materials: ABS Plastic
Classification: 1.2. Assembly/Put Together

Notes: Note that each ring is flexible and may be flexed open, but no permanent deformation of the rings is required to solve the puzzle.

Six Ring Circus

The 69 Puzzle

Designer: George Miller
Goal: Twist and fold the 12 triangles into a cube so that the numbers outside the cube add up to 69.

Materials: ABS, vinyl
Classification: 9. Folding Puzzle

The 69 Puzzle

Skewered Cubes

Designer: Tom Lensch
Goal: Insert the two cubes, separated by a spacer, into a box with a lid.

Materials: Wood: walnut
Classification: 1.3. Miscellenous Put-Together

Notes: The box bottom, top and spacer all have pins that fit into holes in the cubes.

Purchase: Contact the designer by ; the cost is $125 plus S&H.

Skewered Cubes

Slidoku

Designer: Simon Nightingale
Goal: Move the 64 pieces and the eight small trays so that each row and column contains the numbers 1 to 9, including the numbers on the bottom of the large tray. Some pieces indicate their correct position within the small tray.

Materials: Wood
Classification: 5.3. Sliding block puzzle; SEQ

Purchase: Contact Tom Lensch by .

Slidoku

Space Axis

Designer: Osanori Yamamoto
Goal: Assemble the three pieces.

Materials: Wood
Classification: 3.2. Interlocking

Space Axis

Sunleaf

Designer: Gondos Gábor
Goal: Place all the puzzle pieces into the frame.There are multiple solutions.

Materials: Plywood: beech, birch, poplar,meranti
Classification: 1.1. Put-together (jigsaw)

Notes: The sides of all pieces are complex curves, and the challenge is to recognize the possible of matching pieces.

Purchase: Contact the designer by , or visit www.gondosdesign.hu.

Sunleaf

Symptomino

Designer: Péter Gál
Goal: Create a symmetric polyomino using:

  • Two pieces
  • Three pieces
  • All four pieces

Materials: walnut wood
Classification: 1.3. Silhouette puzzle

Notes: This is the only set of four different pentominoes which has only one solution with 2, 3 and 4 pieces.

Symptomino

Tel Arad

Designer: Yael Meron
Goal: Stack the squares, one inside the other, in three layers.

Materials: Delrin plastic, cotton thread
Classification: 1.2. 3D assembly

Notes: You may slide the threads along an edge, but not around a corner of the squares.

Tel Arad

Tetra-Pack

Designer: Ton Brouwer
Goal: Remove the cube from the tetrahedron and try to put it back in again.

Materials: Wood: padouk and ash
Classification: 1.1. 3-Dimensional assembly

Tetra-Pack

Thor´s Hammer

Designer: Stephan Baumegger
Goal: Disassemble and reassemble.

Materials: Wood: maple, walnut, and leather
Classification: 3.1. Interlocking figural solid

Purchase: Contact the designer by , or at designer's Facebook page. Price €85.

Thor´s Hammer

3 Celestial Stars

Designer: Stewart Coffin, George Bell, Stephen Chin
Goal: Dissassemble the three first stellations of the rhombic dodecahedron.

Materials: Wood
Classification: 3.2. Geometric objects

3 Celestial Stars

3 Pentagons

Designer: Koshi Arai
Goal: Make a symmetric flat shape. There are three solutions.

Materials: Wood
Classification: 1.1. Put together

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

3 Pentagons

Trinity

Designer: Mike Toulouzas
Goal: Disassemble. Reassemble.

Materials: Wood: rosewood, bubinga
Classification: 3.1. Interlocking figural solid

Purchase: Visit www.puzzzlevision.com, or contact the designer by .

Trinity

Two Dogs

Designer: Diniar Namdarian
Goal: Exchange the positions of the two dogs.

Materials: Acryl
Classification: 5.3. Sliding Piece

Purchase: Contact the designer by ; price: 13€.

Two Dogs

Whitebox

Designer: Volker Latussek
Goal: Find the way through the box.

Materials: Polyamide and stainless steel
Classification: 5.5. Maze/Sequential Movement

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

Whitebox

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