Gabriel's Reviews - New Review (May 20)

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Sep 07, 2012 10:28 am

Hi Everybody,

Another end of the week and another Cast Puzzle reviewed. Today, I have posted about the Cast Baroq, a stunning puzzle designed by Akio Yamamoto, who designed many other Cast Puzzles, like the Radix or the entire Marine Series. Read the review here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

Jared · **Posted:** Fri Sep 07, 2012 12:24 pm

Oh, one of my favorites. Some of them tend to be very tight though - mine is - so perhaps that's worth mentioning in the review. It unfortunately seems to be hit-or-miss.

Coaster1235 · **Joined:** Wed Dec 14, 2011 12:25 pm **Location:** Finland

My Baroq is smooth as butter. I was kind of disappointed when I solved it in a little over 5 minutes, but I still love it <3

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Sat Sep 08, 2012 2:48 pm

Thanks guys :wink:

I have updated the review with your feedback.

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:53 am

Hi Everybody,

Today I have posted about a nice slide puzzle by Serhiy Grabarchuk, the Two Sliding Squares. This is a very original concept where you have two small squares and need to merge them into one single large square. This is a two-layer puzzle that is quite challenging. It was manufactured by Bits and Pieces, so don't expect stellar quality. Click here to read the review.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Sep 14, 2012 8:29 am

Hi Everybody,

I have reviewed another nice Cast Puzzle, this time by Oskar van Deventer. The Disk is actually two disks that are joined together and your task is to separate them and then put them back again. Very nice puzzle. Read the review here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Wed Sep 19, 2012 8:39 am

Hi Everybody,

I just published another review for a Jean Claude Constantin puzzle, the Smiley Lock. This original lock design has five knobs instead of a traditional key to open it. Very challenging. Read the review here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:03 am

Hi Everybody,

This week I took a break from the Cast Puzzles and reviewed a puzzle from ThinkFun instead, the Spin-Out. Many of you know this classic puzzle, but if you like to know more about it, check out my review here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 9:55 am

Hi Everybody,

Today's review is for a nice puzzle from Philos, the German puzzle manufacturer, the Cone puzzle. Your task is to take apart its 13 pieces and then put them back into a cone shape. Click here to read more about it.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Sep 28, 2012 9:26 am

Hi Everybody,

My last review of September is for another cool Cast Puzzle, the Coil. Designed by Edi Nagata, who also designed the popular Arrow Case, the object of the Coil is to separate its two coiled up pieces and then put them back together again. Click here to read the review.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Tue Oct 02, 2012 10:30 am

Hi Everybody,

The first review of the month is for a very cool puzzle, Ivan's Hinge, invented by Ivan Moscovich. The concept is simple, as you try to fold it into one of the five possible shapes and numerous different color patterns. It's very easy to manipulate, but a pain to master. Click here for the complete review.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Oct 05, 2012 9:59 am

Hi Everybody,

This week's Cast review is for the Radix, designed by Akio amamoto. This mesmerizing shape is comprised by two pieces and a base, and the goal is to separate all of them. Click here for the written review.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Mon Oct 08, 2012 8:43 am

Hi Everybody,

Today's review is for a nice wooden puzzle, the Hexiamond. It consists of 12 different polyform pieces that can be arranged to form dozens of shapes. Review here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Wed Oct 10, 2012 9:28 am

Hi Everybody,

Today's review is for a fantastic assembly puzzle, the Cyclone, designed by Holger Strøm. It consists of 30 malleable pieces that interlock to form a spherical shape. Click here to read more about it.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Oct 12, 2012 9:56 am

Hi Everybody,

This week's Cast Puzzle review is for Vesa Timonen's Cast Loop. This is a level 1/6 puzzle, but in my opinion it's a bit harder than you'd think. Click here to read the review.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2012 11:12 am

Hi Everybody,

Today's review is for a board game rather than a puzzle, although it still feels like any other puzzle in the sense that it really makes you think in order to win. Luck is not present in this game. It's called Reflection and was invented by Ivan Moscovich. It's a rather ingenious design where you basically use a mirror to reflect one of the game's 60 challenge cards, and the goal of course is to score the most points. There are spheres in different arrangements and in four different colors and the points are scored based on the number of spheres of a certain color you get. Click here to know more about it.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

Jared · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2012 12:46 pm

If you think most board games rely on luck to find a winner, you're not playing the right board games!

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2012 5:27 pm

Well, you are right, I hardly play any board games, but I really liked this one. Of course there are many examples of board games that don't rely on luck: Checkers, Chess, Scrabble are a few examples, but there are lots more. I was referring to the classical ones like Monopoly, Ludo, or Yahtzee. The ones that favor skill over luck are indeed among my favorites :wink:

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Oct 19, 2012 10:06 am

Hi Everybody,

The last review of the week is for a Jean Claude Constantin's puzzle, Eingeengt. This packing puzzle has only six pieces, but most of them are blocked by a wire frame. The goal is to remove the pieces, one by one, and then put them back inside with the correct arrangement. Very cool puzzle. Read the review here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:05 am

Hi Everybody,

My latest review is for a nice packing puzzle, the Twisted Gem, manufactured by PuzzleMaster. The puzzle consists of seven pieces that form a rhombic shape and you need to be able to remove them and stack them all over again. The twist is that the rhombic shape makes it much harder to see how the pieces interact with each other. Click here to read the review.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Oct 26, 2012 12:04 pm

Hi Everybody,

This week I have another Cast Puzzle review, and this time I posted about the Dolce, a puzzle depicting the two symbols for male and female. From the same designer of one of the hardest Cast puzzles, the Vortex. Read the review here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Nov 02, 2012 11:07 am

Hi Everybody,

This week's review is for an interesting Cast Puzzle, the Violon. The puzzle has three entangled pieces that need to be separated and then you should be able to put it back together again. This is a level 2/6 puzzle, but feels more like a level 3 one. Click here for the review.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Mon Nov 05, 2012 7:20 am

Hi Everybody,

I've been reviewing some of Ivan Moscovich's puzzles, and this week I posted about his Paradox Box. The puzzle is a blind maze inside a cube and the goal is to drop a sphere into it and be able to get it out. Helping you out are some clues on the cube's faces but you have to figure out what they mean. Read more about this interesting puzzle here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Wed Nov 07, 2012 11:00 am

Hi Everybody,

Today's review is a first in my puzzle collection. It's for a bottle puzzle designed by Ad van der Schagt. I liked it so much that I intend to get more in the near future. Click here to read my take on it.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Nov 09, 2012 11:14 am

Hi Everybody,

Another Cast Puzzle reviewed, this week by Bram Cohen. It's for the Cast Rattle and although it's a level 4/6 it looks more challenging than that. Click here to read the review.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Mon Nov 12, 2012 11:10 am

Hi Everybody,

I have posted another review for a Jean Claude Constantin puzzle, the Sputnik Ball. It's an interesting concept where you have a metal sphere trapped in the middle of two sizes of intercepting rings. You have to figure out a way to free the sphere and take the rings apart. Have a look here for more info.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Nov 16, 2012 10:38 am

Hi Everybody,

This week was all Jean Claude Constantin. Today, I have reviewed the Triangle Box, a 3D Packing Puzzle. A fitting name for an interesting design with 7 pieces. Click here to read the review.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Mon Nov 19, 2012 10:34 am

Hi Everybody,

My latest post is about a new type of puzzle in my collection, Trick Bolts. I got two puzzles and I have reviewed the first one, which curiously enough is #2. Very enjoyable puzzles. Read my take on them here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Thu Nov 22, 2012 11:32 am

Hi Everybody,

I posted another review for a puzzle by Ivan Moscovich. This time, it's actually 10 puzzles in one. Craniatics is a collection of 10 magnetic puzzles in a box that opens and contains a magnetic board. It's ideal to take it on your trips. Take a look at the review here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Nov 23, 2012 10:42 am

Hi Everybody,

This week I have reviewed another Cast Puzzle, this time the Cast Ring. This one has been around since the 15th century and Hanayama did a great job, as usual, in bringing this updated version to us. The object is to take apart then put back together the four ring bands. Click here to read the review.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Mon Nov 26, 2012 9:53 am

Hi Everybody,

The first review of the week is for a nice wire puzzle from Jean Claude Constantin. Sonne is a sun-shaped frame, and the object is to remove the handle from the puzzle. Click here to read the review.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2012 10:42 am

Hi Everybody,

The last review of the month is a follow up to last week's Cast Ring, as I write about the Cast Ring II. This newer version is a bit smaller than the first one and has five bands instead of four. Click here to read more about it.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Mon Dec 03, 2012 11:03 am

Hi Everybody,

The first review of the month is for a nice looking puzzle, the EZ Atom designed by Doug Engel. The object of this puzzle is to free a marble that is trapped in the middle of three pieces intercepting each other in three different axis, and then reassemble it. Click here to read the review.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Wed Dec 05, 2012 11:02 am

Hi Everybody,

My latest review is for a nice little puzzle, the Orbo by Popular Playthings. Many of you might already have seen it, but if you'd like to know more about it, check out my review here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:06 am

Hi Everybody,

Getting close to reviewing all Cast Puzzles. This week, I wrote about the Cast Heart. This is a puzzle with two hearts with different sizes and they're both kept together by a golden chain. You have to undo the knots that are binding them together and then return the hearts to their original position. Read the review here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Mon Dec 10, 2012 8:43 am

Hi Everybody,

I posted another nice review for a Jean Claude Constantin puzzle, the 8 Balken. With a design reminiscent of the 4-in-line game, the puzzle features four pairs of colored bars with discs attached to them. Each bar has a different number of discs and in various arrangements. The object is to remove the pieces and place them back into the wooden frame. Click here for the review.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Wed Dec 12, 2012 11:27 am

Hi Everybody,

This week I end a series of reviews for Ivan Moscovich's puzzles with Fold - A collection of 10 brainteasers. This is a selection of ten original puzzles where you have to fold them into a variety of shapes. Take a look here for more info.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Dec 14, 2012 10:24 am

Hi Everybody,

To end this week, I reviewed a classic puzzle game, the Hoppers by Nob Yoshigahara. Hoppers has you jumping frogs over each other until only the red frog remains on the board. Check out the review here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Mon Dec 17, 2012 3:54 pm

Hi Everybody,

As my first review of the week, I have posted about the second Trick Bolt I got from PuzzleMaster, which is actually #1. This is much harder than Bolt #2, even though they are rated with the same level of difficulty. Check out the review here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Dec 21, 2012 8:55 am

Hi Everybody,

For my last review of the year, I have posted about Oskar's Cast Nutcase. This is one of the toughest Cast Puzzles, and this one got the best of me. For a detailed review, click here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Mon Jan 07, 2013 9:57 am

Hi Everybody,

For my first review of 2013, I chose a nice puzzle from Jean Claude Constantin, the Drachenflieger. At first glance, the puzzle appears to have 6 triangular pieces, but in reality it's only three, because they're glued in pairs at different angles. Take a look at the review to find out more about it.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:30 am

Hi Everybody,

Today's review is for another puzzle from Mag-Nif, On the Level. Some of you might know a few of their puzzles, like The Brain or the Cerebral Rings. On the Level is an edge-matching puzzle where you must match different levels on adjacent tiles. Click here to read the review.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2013 11:51 am

Hi Everybody,

As usual, I end the week with another Cast Puzzle reviewed, this time it's Oskar's Cast Chain. It's a level 6/6 rated by Hanayama, but in my opinion much easier than the Nutcase, also by Oskar. Click here to read the review.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Mon Jan 14, 2013 11:04 am

Hi Everybody,

My latest review is for another William Waite's puzzle, from the Paradigm Puzzles collection, the Interlace Diamond. This is a packing puzzle with an Arabic pattern featuring 12 different pieces. It's quite a tricky one. Read more about it here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Thu Jan 17, 2013 1:03 pm

Hi Everybody,

Today's review is a special one. I have reviewed a puzzle from Splinter, one of the members from the forum. As many of you might already know, he has created three fantastic maze puzzles, and one of them, the MazeRoll, was the one I have reviewed. In short, the MazeRoll is 384 mazes in 1, as the four disks can be rearranged into many combinations, with three levels of difficulty, and some impossible ones as well. Read the review and leave feedback if possible, here or on the blog about it, so the designer can have a real sense of the puzzle's potential.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Jan 18, 2013 10:47 am

Hi Everybody,

Another Cast Puzzle reviewed, this time the fiendish Cast Enigma. A level 6/6 puzzle where the main goal is to separate the three pieces, and then reassemble them into their original form. Read the review here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Mon Jan 21, 2013 10:42 am

Hi Everybody,

To start well the week, what better way than a review of another Constantin puzzle, this time for the Mickey. This is a string puzzle, and as always I have a bit of love/hate thing towards them. Read my review to find out more about it.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Thu Jan 24, 2013 10:44 am

Hi Everybody,

Today I bring you a review from a great puzzle designer, Robrecht Louage and his 1€ Labyrinth Puzzle. He's the designer of IPP 31 Jury Grand Prize winner, 4 Steps Visible Lock. The Labyrinth Puzzle has only a half-visible maze and the goal is also to remove the 1€ coin. It's a great puzzle and shouldn't be missed. Check out the review here.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Fri Jan 25, 2013 11:52 am

Hi Everybody,

Today's review is for a nice little puzzle, but a big challenge to solve. It's the Timonen's Burr, with a 5/5 difficulty level. Harder to put it back than to take it apart. Click here for more info.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

gabrielmpf · **Posted:** Mon Jan 28, 2013 10:28 am

Hi Everybody,

Yet another puzzle from Jean Claude Constantin is reviewed, this time the Centrale. The concept is similar to the coin puzzles by Robrecht Louage, except much easier. Click here to know why.

Enjoy the Reading :wink:

Gabriel

Gabriel's Reviews - New Review (May 20)

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