TYPE-1: PUT TOGETHER PUZZLES


These are puzzles where the object is to put them together. They are grouped into 3 categories:

  (a) 2-dimensional: These are puzzles that lay flat.  The object
        is usually to put all the pieces into a container, to arrange
        all the pieces into a shape, or to arrange all the pieces such
        that certain colors or patterns line-up.
  (b) 3-dimensional: These are puzzles that are 3-dimensional.  They
        differ from TYPE-3 (interlocking solids) in that they do not
        interlock when you put them together.  The object is usually
        to make some shape (cube, pyramid, etc) or to line-up colors
        or shapes.
  (c) Balancing: I made-up this category, because I had some puzzles
        such as "Architest" that I didn't know how to categorize.
        These are puzzles where the object is to balance something(s)
        on top of something else.

TYPE-2: TAKE APART PUZZLES


These are puzzles where the object is to take them apart. These are not to be confused with Type-4 (disentanglement) puzzles, in which the object is to untangle or get a ring off. Sometimes I'm not sure if something should be Type-4 or Type-2, so there is a fine line.
I group these slightly differently from the way Jerry Slocum does. I've come up with these 3 categories:

  (a) puzzle boxes: These are boxes where the puzzle is to figure
        out how to open them.
  (b) miscellaneous: These include puzzles that a secret compartment 
        that you have to find, or puzzles where you just have to
        figure out how to dismantle them.
  (c) Locks & Keys

TYPE-3: INTERLOCKING SOLIDS


These are puzzles that interlock. There are 5 sub-types:

 (A) Figures: These are puzzles that are shaped like an animal,
       a car, a boat, etc
 (B) Geometric: These are geometric shapes (cube, sphere, etc)
 (C) 3-D Jigsaws: These are puzzles that are like a jigsaw puzzle,
       but 3-dimensional.
 (D) Burrs: These are usually made of wood, and are somewhat
       geometric but differ from (B) above.  I'm not sure how
       to define these, but you know them when you see them.
 (E) Keychain: These are basically figures like in (A) but are 
       small and on a keychain.

TYPE-4: DISENTANGLEMENT PUZZLES


These are puzzles where the object is seperate pieces, remove a piece, or otherwise disentangle something. They are grouped into 3 categories:

  (a) cast-iron: These are puzzles that are made of cast-iron.  They
        are typically very big & heavy (such as the ones made by
        Tavern Puzzles), but some fit in the palm of your hand (such
        as the ones from NOB Studio).
  (b) wire: These are puzzles that are made of bent wire.  The
        object is usually to sperate the pieces.  These can be
        as simple as 2 bent nails or as elaborate as an intricate
        wire sculpture where one piece comes off.
  (c) string: These are puzzles that have a rope or a string
        involved.  Typically, you have to get a ring off or get
        a loop of string off of a wooden piece.

TYPE-5: SEQUENTIAL MOVEMENT PUZZLES


These are puzzles that involve a series of moves or rotations to solve. The most famous of these is Rubik's Cube. They are grouped into 5 categories:

  (a) Solitaire: These are puzzles that play like a game, but you
        play by yourself.  Typically, they are games where you jump
        pegs over other pegs and try to leave one remaining.
  (b) Sequencer: These are puzzles on which you have to perform a
        sequence of moves to solve.  Usually, you know what the
        moves are but have to figure out the proper order in which
        to make them.
  (c) Sliding Block: Your classic sliding block puzzle is a flat
        square with space for 16 (4x4) little squares, but leaves
        one of the 16 empty.  You have to slide the other 15 around
        (you can only move one at a time) until you arrange them
        to make a picture or something.  There are many variaions
        on this, but the idea is usually the same.
  (d) Rotating Shape: This is where Rubik's cube fits in.  These
        puzzles are usually cubes, pyramids, spheres, or something
        geometric, and you usually have to rotate them to get colors
        or numbers lined up.
  (e) Maze & Route: These are puzzles that involve a maze.

TYPE-6: MANUAL DEXTERITY PUZZLES


These are puzzles that require manual dexterity. Typically they involve more physical skill (or luck) than thinking. You usually have to get balls into holes or something. Usually, getting the first ball in the first hole is simple, but as you try to get the next ball into the next hole, the first one falls out. I never liked this type of puzzle, but I collect them anyway.

TYPE-7: PUZZLE VESSELS


These puzzles are usually containers of liquid, where the object is to drink from them without spilling all over yourself. I have 2 of these, each ordered from the "Bits & Pieces" catalog. They're both similar: they hold water, and you have to drink from them without spilling water out of the many holes. They are supposedly reproductions of ancient Greek or Phoenician puzzles or something like that. Cool, huh?

TYPE-8: PICTURE PUZZLES


If you've never seen any of these, you're missing out. I've Xeroxed them from books such as "Aha - Gotcha" by Martin Gardiner. The Leprechaun one is a classic. You have 3 pieces of paper arranged to make a picture with 15 leprechauns. You swap the 2 top pieces, and low-and-behold, you only have 14 leprechauns. Is that crazy, or what?

TYPE-9: FOLDING PUZZLES

These are puzzles that fold, usually to either make different flat 
pictures or to make different 3-dimensional shapes.  I decided to
break this one into 2 sub-groups:
  (a) Puzzles with an object: These are your classic folding
        puzzles where the object is to make a flat picture or
        a 3-dimensional shape.
  (b) Puzzles that you just make shapes with: These may not
        even qualify as puzzles.  They are things like Rubik's
        snake, that you bend into different shapes.  You can
        challenge people to try to make a particular shape with
        these (making them legitimate puzzles), or you can simply
        let people play with them with no goal in mind.

TYPE-10: IMPOSSIBLE OBJECTS


These are real neat. I made one with an arrow made of solid pine stuck through a small hole in a coin. The point & tail of the arrow were much larger than the hole in the coin. The trick is not to take it apart (it doesn't come apart), but to figure out how it got in there. Generally, the object of all of these puzzles is simply to think about them and determine how they are possible.

Back to the TOP of this page

Back to my puzzle home page