REVOMAZE User Group

If you had to pick one, which would be your favorite genre of puzzles? Why is that your favorite genre of puzzles?

And no, I will not be shocked if a lot of us here like puzzles that you take apart :p.

(Following content added by Paradox)

Mechanical Puzzle Types

1. Put-Together Puzzles - Putting the object together is the puzzle.

1.1 Two Dimensional assembly puzzles (Tangrams, Anchor, T, jigsaw, etc.)

1.2 Three Dimensional assembly puzzles - Non-Interlocking (Soma, etc.)

1.3 Miscellaneous put-together-(Instant Insanity, puzzle rings, etc.)

1.4 Matchstick puzzles


2. Take-Apart Puzzles - Taking the object apart or open is the puzzle.

2.1 Trick or secret opening puzzles - (Puzzle Boxes, etc.)

2.2 Secret Compartment puzzles (Slopes, coins, etc.)

2.3 Trick locks & keys

2.4 Trick matchboxes (matchsafes)

2.5 Trick knives


3. Interlocking Solid Puzzles - Disassembly & assembly to solve puzzle.

3.1 Figural (Animals, objects, etc.)

3.2 Geometric objects (Cube, etc.)

3.3 Three D jigsaw puzzles

3.4 Burr Puzzles

3.5 Keychain puzzles

3.6 Miscellaneous interlocking solid puzzles


4. Disentanglement Puzzles - Disentanglement & entanglement to solve puzzle

4.1 Cast Iron & sheet metal puzzles

4.2 Wire puzzles (Chinese Rings, etc.)

4.3 String puzzles (non-rigid disentanglement)

4.4 Miscellaneous disentanglement puzzles


5. Sequential Movement Puzzles - Moving the parts of object to a goal is the puzzle.

5.1 Solitaire puzzles (Remove pegs, counters, etc. by jumping)

5.2 Counter puzzles (Rearrange counters, pegs, etc. by jumping)

5.3 Sliding piece puzzles (2D & 3D)

5.4 Rotating cube puzzles (3D-Rubik’s cube, etc.)

5.5 Maze & route puzzles

5.6 Miscellaneous sequential movement puzzles (Tower of Hanoi, etc.)

5.7 Maze and Labyrinths for People


6. Dexterity Puzzles - Manual dexterity is primary to solve puzzle.

6.1 Throw & catch (Cup & ball, etc.)

6.2 Rolling ball puzzles

6.3 Maze dexterity puzzles

6.4 Miscellaneous dexterity puzzles


7. Puzzle Vessels - Drinking without spilling, or filling a vessel is the puzzle.

(Puzzle Jugs, Bottom fill wine & tea pots, Pitchers, etc.)


8. Vanish Puzzles - The Puzzle is to explain a vanished or changed image.

(Loyd’s Get Off the Earth, etc.)


9. Folding Puzzles - The puzzle is to fold a paper or hinged object to form a specified pattern. (2D & 3D)

(Fifth Pig Puzzle, etc.)


10. Impossible Puzzles - The puzzle is to explain how an object was made or why it behaves in a seemingly impossible way.

(Arrow thru bottle, celt. etc.)


This mechanical puzzle classification is by Jerry Slocum, and it has been taken from Cleverwood here:

http://www.cleverwood.com/mechanical_pu ... cation.htm

To be honest I quite like most types of puzzles, but if I had to choose my favourite genre then it would have to be 'take apart' puzzles.

The only types that I'm not too fond of are disentanglement puzzles, and that's mostly because I'm rubbish at them.

Puzzles I tend to enjoy (I buy these al the time) include...
1. Interlocking inc. Burrs (I find these most challenging)
2. Disentanglement (only if the quality is good)
3. Take-Apart (It's a childhood thing)
4. Sequential Move inc. Sequential Discovery (I have lots of these)
5. Dexterity (If they are good they require focus and practice)
6. Hybrid Puzzles (combining more than one of these puzzle types)
7. Kitsch Puzzles (I collect caged animals etc... the shame of it!)

Puzzles I don't tend to enjoy (I buy these ocassionally) include...
1. Packing puzzles (2D or 3D I'm not thrilled by these puzzles)
2. Jigsaw puzzles (too methodical for me, I am a bit erratic)
3. Put-Together puzzles (I have lost many puzzle pieces over the years)

Puzzles I have looked at but am not interested in include...
1. Book/Written puzzles (I love reading... but not puzzles)
2. Vessels (I've seen a few but they don't interest me)
3. Folding (amusing but unrewarding IMHO)

Puzzles I would like to see/aquire one day include...
1. Vanishing Objects (never seen/held one/owned one)
2. Impossible Objects (my father had some but I've never had any)

Ok...........great topic but now my head is spinning like a top!

Take apart I guess is top but trick locks and packing puzzles are a must!

Jigsaw for me. I especially enjoy photomosaics.

I have a general like of all puzzles, but the ones that really float my boat are the Sequential Movement Puzzles

"Sequential movement" meets "secret opening" in my collection.

Besides the actual puzzle mechanism, I like puzzles that look good when put on display (e.g. aluminium cherry , Karakuri Cakes, Cast loop & marble), or that are optically deceiving (e.g. Svetnashki), even if they are not much of a challenge to 'solve'.

I just love burr puzzles as well as wire (with or without string) disentanglement puzzles.

I really can't be bothered with jigsaws - I don't get the discovery moment from them.

Apart from that I'll play with anything!

My favorites are probably take-apart puzzles, interlocking solid puzzles and sequential movement ( although, I'm not a huge rubik's cube fan. )

I'm like Oli in that I'm not a huge fan of disentanglement puzzles, but it's mostly because I'm pretty horrible at the them. I had an easier time with Hanayama's Enigma than I did with Cast Heart.

I like any puzzle that gives you little 'aha!' moments, which I don't really get with entanglements until the very end when the whole thing comes apart.

I do like jigsaws - only because they let me spend what my wife will call 'quality time' with her and we can sit there in silence and still have a good time.