2019 Puzzle Design Competition

Entries

The Design Competition Guide (same content: photos, instructions, and notes) is available here.

The following is a summary of the 61 entries in the 2019 competition (click on images for larger photos).

All designs are copyrighted and are the intellectual property of the designer. All rights are reserved.

Brass Monkey Two

Designer: Steve Nicholls and Ali Morris
Goal: Disassemble and reassemble.

Materials: Brass
Classification: OPN-OTH, INT-CART

Purchase: Available at Two Brass Monkey Etsy Shop, Mr Puzzle Australia, and Puzzle Master.

Brass Monkey Two

Chinese Soft Ring

Designer: Jim Wu & Aaron Wang
Goal: Separate three loops without using force.

Materials: Stainless steel, nylon
Classification: Disentanglement

Notes: The rope loops should not be forced through the gaps in the rings.

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

Chinese Soft Ring

Conjoined Cubes

Designer: David Pitcher
Goal: Return the puzzle to its starting state with one color per side.

Materials: Laser sintered nylon, vinyl, screws, springs
Classification: SEQ-GRP

Notes: 2x2x2 operations are the only moves available on the puzzle, and only the cube that the switch is currently in can be turned. When the shape is restored to the original two cubes configuration (ignoring the colors), the switch can be moved to the other cube, and scrambling (or solving) can continue.

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

Conjoined Cubes

Cover Up

Designer: George Sicherman
Goal: Place the pieces on a flat surface so that the T-shaped piece is hidden under the other four.

Materials: Wenge, holly
Classification: Slocum 1.2 : 3-Dimensional Assembly

Cover Up

Disney

Designer: George Miller
Goal: The 12 tiles can be folded into a dodecahedron many different ways. Each tile has a Disney character on one side. Find the character which cannot appear alone on the outside of a folded dodecahedron.

Materials: ABS plastic
Classification: 3D Folding

Purchase: Contact the designer by , $40 plus shipping. 400 produced.

Disney

Donut Perplex

Designer: Symen Hovinga
Goal: Put the 13 pieces together to form a donut.

Materials: Wood PLA
Classification: ASS-STRA

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

Donut Perplex

Double Cube

Designer: Akira Nishihara
Goals:

  • Fold one piece to form a rhombic dodecahedron.
  • Fold both pieces to form a pair of connected rhombic dodecahedrons.
Materials: Plastic
Classification: Folding puzzles (FOL-HGCL)

Purchase: Avaiable at HANAYAMA Co., Ltd.

Double Cube

Drawer Box

Designer: Bruno Hemon
Goal: Pull out all three drawers.

Materials: PLA – 3D printed
Classification: Puzzle Box (Slocum 2.1)

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

Drawer Box

Dunant

Designer: Volker Latussek
Goal: Pack five pieces into the box.

Materials: Maple and bulletwood
Classification: 3D Assembly
Dunant

8 by 8 Squeer Puzzle

Designer: Rik van Grol
Goal: Solve the jigsaw - arrange the 64 pieces in an 8x8 grid.

Materials: Acrylic
Classification: 1.1 2-Dimensional Assembly

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

8 by 8 Squeer Puzzle

Escape From the Bastille

Designer: Simon Bexfield
Goal: Move the man in the iron mask (a ball bearing) from his cell on the ground floor of the tower (labelled oubliette) to the gate on the left side and then to the window marked liberte. It appears that he can take the underground passage directly to the gate but this passage is blocked by three guards (larger ball bearings).

Materials: ABS plastic, ball bearings
Classification: RTF-OTH (route finding other)

Notes: In order to help him reach his destination you will need to find a key, move him through secret passages and down a spiral staircase. As you help him move around the Bastille you will see him appear at various windows. If at any time he gets lost before arriving at the gate, gently shaking the Bastille with the oubliette corner downwards will reset the puzzle and send him directly back to the oubliette cell.

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

Escape From the Bastille

FantasTIC

Designer: Andrew Crowell
Goal: Disassemble and reassemble the cube.

Materials: Zebrawood and tigerwood
Classification: Interlocking

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

FantasTIC

4+4

Designer: Choongmyoung Lee
Goal: Assemble the eight pieces to make a 2×2×2 cube without any exterior bumps (holes are allowed).

Materials: Versatile plastic
Classification: 3.2 Interlocking Solid (Geometrical Object)

Purchase: Available at Uiqoo's Shapeways Shop.

4+4

4! Fold

Designer: Bob Hearn
Goal: Fold a polycube.

Materials: 3D-printed PLA and magnets
Classification: 9. Folding

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

4! Fold

4L Basket

Designer: Koichi Miura
Goal: Pack the four pieces into the box (basket).

Materials: Wood
Classification: 3D Assembly

Purchase: Available ONLY in Japan at PUZZLE of MINE * WEB-SHOP. But the timing of sale is undecided.

4L Basket

4.5

Designer: Choongmyoung Lee
Goal: Put all five pieces into the frame.

  • Side A: one bump
  • Side B: two bumps
Materials: Acrylic
Classification: 1.1 Put-Together (2-Dimensional)

4.5

4-Beam Burr

Designer: John M Kostick
Goal: Take apart and put together.

Materials: Maple and mahogany
Classification: Burr

Purchase: Available at kosticks.com.

4-Beam Burr

Hat Trick

Designer: Laszlo Molnar
Goal: Pack/unpack the pieces into/from the box.

Materials: Wood
Classification: 1.2 3D

Hat Trick

Hex-Pave

Designer: Carl Hoff
Goal: Pack all 15 pieces into the size-8 regular hexagonal tray.

Materials: Laser-cut acrylic
Classification: 2 Dimensional Assembly / ASS-STRA

Notes: This is the set of all possible hexagons with only 120° angles and edge lengths of 1, 2, or 3 units.

Purchase: The puzzle is available at Kadon Enterprises, Inc. for $65 (plus shipping).

Hex-Pave

Hinge-ominoes

Designer: Eric Harshbarger
Goals:

  • Place the five hinge-ominoes into the tray.
  • Place the five hinge-ominoes into the tray so that no white dots are visible.
  • Place the five hinge-ominoes into the tray so that exactly seven white dots are visible.
  • Place the five hinge-ominoes into the tray so that no two pieces are the same shape.
Materials: 3D printed PLA
Classification: Put-Together Assembly

Notes: Each of the five pieces represents a unique way four squares may be connected by corner hinges.

Purchase: Contact the designer by ; $40.00 each. Printed on demand.

Hinge-ominoes

The HoKey CoKey Lock

Designer: Ali Morris
Goal: Open the shackle. Close the shackle.

Materials: Brass padlock, aluminum keychain, steel keys
Classification: OPN-LOCK
The HoKey CoKey Lock

Ice 9

Designer: Yuu Asaka
Goal: Place all the pieces into the frame.

Materials: Acrylic
Classification: 1.1 2 Dimensional Assembly

Purchase: Contact the designer (浅香 遊/Yuu Asaka) on Facebook. ¥2600 each. Stocks are produced irregularly.

Ice 9

Inside Track

Designer: Walaber (Tim FitzRandolph)
Goal: Scramble and then restore the color pattern with colored pieces making circles around the colored centers, and a "petal" pattern of the white pieces.

Materials: PLA plastic, M2 screws, superglue
Classification: Sequential Movement

Purchase: The puzzle is intended to be available at Chewies Custom Stickers

Inside Track

Jack in the Box

Designer: Jesse Born
Goal: Discover secret movements to open the box and reveal a deck of playing cards.

Materials: Wenge, holly, bocote
Classification: 2.1 Trick or Secret Opening

Jack in the Box

La Boomba!

Designer: CHINNOMOTTO
Goal: Open the box.

Materials: Color pencils, electronics
Classification: Slocum 2.1

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

La Boomba!

Logical Progression

Designer: Rick Eason
Goal: Assemble a 4x4x4 cube.

Materials: Walnut, oak
Classification: Interlocking Solid

Purchase: Available at Cubicdissection.

Logical Progression

LOL

Designer: Frederic Boucher
Goal: Assemble the five pieces to form the acronym LOL, so that the three letters all have the same dimensions.

Materials: Wenge, metal
Classification: Assembly

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

LOL

Magic Triangle

Designer: ZhaoYue
Goal: Balance the six pieces on the tray with the following steps:

  • Place the pieces inside the six spots on the top of the tray.
  • Place the tray with pieces placed on the top of the yellow pillar.
  • Maintain balance for more than 10 seconds without external assistance.
  • If you think the yellow pillar is too easy, then try the green pillar.
Materials: PLA
Classification: OTH-BAL
Magic Triangle

Matrioshka

Designer: Dmitry Andreev
Goal: Mix up and restore the colored regions.

Materials: Acrylic, plastic
Classification: 5.4 Rotating Pieces

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

Matrioshka

Mazeburr L

Designer: Diniar Namdarian
Goal: Free the ball through the small hole.

Materials: PLA and acrylic
Classification: 5.5 Maze and Route

Notes: Alternative challenges are possible by using alternative sliders.

Purchase: Contact the designer by ; cost will be 35 Euros.

Mazeburr L

Mondrian Blocks

Designer: Laszlo Mero- Gergely Kapolnas- Imre Kokenyesi
Goal: Select a challenge card. Use the gray pieces to fill the black space, fill the remaining space with the colored pieces.

Materials: ABS
Classification: 2D-Assembly

Notes: 20 challenge cards and purple solutions are provided (selected from over 1000 puzzles).

Mondrian Blocks

Multiball

Designer: Eric Fuller
Goal: Open the box.

Materials: Ash, wenge, walnut, stainless steel, acrylic
Classification: Take-Apart

Multiball

1-2-3

Designer: Tony Fisher
Goal: Insert the three black pieces into the white maze and maneuver them so that they neatly fit together in the order 1-2-3. A secondary challenge is to remove them. Pieces should always be orientated vertically.

Materials: Plastic
Classification: 5.5 Maze & Route

Purchase: Contact the designer by . Post 3D printing touch up work is required resulting in a price of around $150 including postage.

1-2-3

Orange Perplex

Designer: Symen Hovinga
Goal: Put together the five 3-slice pieces to form an orange.

Materials: Orange PLA
Classification: ASS-STRA

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

Orange Perplex

Orbit Cube

Designer: Sam Jiang
Goal: Mix up and restore the cube, where each face is a single solid color.

Materials: ABS, PLA (FDM)
Classification: Sequential Movement - 5.4 Rotating Pieces

Orbit Cube

Outstandin'

Designer: Haym Hirsh
Goal: Place all the pieces into the cubic shell so the two halves fully close.

Materials: Laser-cut acrylic, 3D-printed plastic
Classification: ASS-OTH

Outstandin'

Peamaru

Designer: Volker Latussek
Goal: Arrange the pieces so that all the dots are paired face-to-face, and the structure is stable.

Materials: Maple and bulletwood
Classification: Put-Together

Peamaru

PedanTIC

Designer: Andrew Crowell
Goal: Disassemble and reassemble the cube.

Materials: Rosewood and white oak
Classification: Interlocking

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

PedanTIC

Petit Ring

Designer: Osanori Yamamoto
Goal: Build the apparent 3x3x2 block inside the frame.

Materials: Wood and MDF (color print)
Classification: Interlocking

Petit Ring

Progressive Pyramid

Designer: George Bell
Goal: Using some or all of the pieces, build a symmetric shape, such as the regular octahedron.

Materials: 3D-printed steel, laser-cut wood
Classification: 1.2 3D Assembly, ASS-POLY

Notes: See solution page for additional challenges. At least 24 symmetric "pyramids" can be built using the set of seven pieces.

Progressive Pyramid

Puzzleduck Pastures

Designer: Kelly Snache
Goal: Help the little fairy unlock and open the door.

Materials: Wood, magnets, steel, brass, abalone
Classification: Sequential Discovery

Purchase: Contact the designer by . Price: $800 each plus shipping

Puzzleduck Pastures

Rocket Man

Designer: Eric Fuller
Goal: Disassemble and reassemble.

Materials: Jatoba, purpleheart, padauk
Classification: Interlocking Solid

Rocket Man

Rotor

Designer: Kyoo Wong
Goals:

  • Separate the rotors from starting position
  • Reassemble the rotors to where the indicators align with each other.
Materials: Brass
Classification: Slocum - Take-Apart

Notes: Once you take the parts apart, you may enjoy the rotors as a top.

Purchase: Available from Hanayama

Rotor

Rules of Attraction

Designer: Laszlo Molnar
Goal: Make a stable cube, so that the hidden magnets do not disturb the proper alignment.

Materials: wood, cube magnets
Classification: Slocum 1.3

Rules of Attraction

Slammed Car

Designer: Junichi Yananose (Juno)
Goal: Open the box.

Materials: Wood, metal
Classification: Sequential Discovery
Slammed Car

Slider

Designer: Vesa Timonen
Goal: Disassemble the puzzle.

Materials: Zinc alloy
Classification: 4.1 Disentanglement / Cast Iron and Sheet Metal

Purchase: Available from Hanayama

Slider

Sluice and Ships 6:5/N12

Designer: Namick Salakhov
Goals:

  • Free the ships by moving through the locked chamber into the opposite side compartment. Find the shortest way.
  • Return them into the starting compartment. Using various strategies find the shortest solution.
Materials: Vinyl, acrylic
Classification: Sequential Movement 5.3

Sluice and Ships 6:5/N12

Somaa Cube

Designer: Haym Hirsh
Goal: Assemble the seven pieces to form a cube.

Materials: Ipe
Classification: 1.2 3-Dimensional Assembly - Non-Interlockng

Notes: The original Soma Cube has 240 solutions. The Somaa Cube uses the same shapes but slightly varies the dimensions of the unit cubes, resulting in a unique solution.

Somaa Cube

Spheres

Designer: Stephan Baumegger
Goal: Put all pieces in the box, so that the lid will completely close.

Materials: Wood, stone
Classification: 1.2.3-Dimensional Assembly

Purchase: Contact the designer by or at Facebook.

Spheres

Standing Egg

Designer: Osanori Yamamoto
Goal: Assemble a cube that is missing one vertex, and so that it self-sustaining.

Materials: Wood
Classification: Put-Together

Standing Egg

SymFunny

Designer: Lucie Pauwels
Goal: Make a symmetric shape with the three pieces.

Materials: Maple
Classification: Put-Together

SymFunny

TD345

Designer: Chico Banan
Goals:

  • Make a 2-layer 3x3 square with the smaller TD chain.
  • Make a 2-layer 4x4 square with the larger TD chain.
  • Make a 2-layer 5x5 square with both TD chains.
Materials: Purpleheart tongue depressors, rivets
Classification: Put-Together

TD345

Tetra Spinner

Designer: Yasuhiro Hashimoto & MINE
Goal: Put the five tetromino pieces into the frame and close the lid completely.

Materials: Acrylic
Classification: Put-Together, Sliding Pieces

Purchase: Available ONLY in Japan at PUZZLE of MINE * WEB-SHOP.

Tetra Spinner

Tétrademino

Designer: Christian Ksavrelof
Goals: Build various shapes using the tétrademino shapes:

  • 4x15, 5x12, 6x10, and two 5x6 rectangles
  • Four 8x8 rectangle (with four holes)
  • Five 7x9 rectangle (with three holes)
  • The given figure below with 10 pieces
Materials: Maple, cherry, walnut
Classification: Put-Together

Purchase: Contact the designer by ; 20 copies at 225€.

Tétrademino

Trigonal Pyramid

Designer: Kohno Ichiro
Goal: Pair the magnetic panels to construct a pyramid (the shape will be rotationally symmetric).

Materials: Cherry
Classification: Put -Together

Purchase: Contact the designer by .

Trigonal Pyramid

2x2x2x2

Designer: Melinda Green
Goal: This is a topologically faithful physical implementation of a 4D extrapolation of the 2x2x2 twisty puzzle. It is solved when all eight "stickers" of each colored "face" (octahedra) are mutually touching, such as the red face in the very center (currently hidden) of the configuration shown below, or virtually touching as described in the notes below.

Materials: 3D-printed nylon 12 and 384 neodymium magnets
Classification: Slocum 5.4

Purchase: Available at Superliminal Shapeways Shop; current price with zero markup: $114.50 + $10 US shipping, $20 international.

2x2x2x2

Two Puzzle Splines

Designer: MIKE TOULOUZAS
Goal: Disassemble, reassemble.

Materials: Wenge, maple, pink ivory
Classification: Interlocking solid

Two Puzzle Splines

Two Shapes

Designer: Frederic Boucher
Goal: Assemble the four pieces to make two identical quadrilateral shapes at the same time.

Materials: Printed MDF
Classification: 2D Assembly

Purchase: In Japan order from puzzlein.com; outside Japan contact the designer by .

Two Shapes

Venn Puzzle

Designer: Hunter Craighill
Goal: Disassemble and reassemble into a sphere.

Materials: Stainless steel
Classification: 3.6

Purchase: Available at Craighill.

Venn Puzzle

Wave 5

Designer: Yuu Asaka
Goal: Put all the pieces into the frame.

Materials: Acrylic
Classification: 1.1 2-Dimensional assembly

Purchase: Purchase: Contact the designer (浅香 遊/Yuu Asaka) on Facebook. ¥2600 each. Stocks are produced irregularly.

Wave 5

Yosegi Pattern Box

Designer: Jesse Born
Goal: Open the box.

Materials: Katalox, maple, purpleheart
Classification: 2.1 Trick or secret opening
Yosegi Pattern Box

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