Brain teaser games I love
Can you solve the mysteries ?
Brain teaser games are a lot of fun. Probably the best known brain teaser game is the Rubik's Cube, but there are plenty more to be discovered.
This lens gives some examples of wooden puzzles, metal brain teasers and various other cool and interesting toys.
If you have a hard time solving some of these puzzles, don't worry, keep calm and eventually you will make it happen. It's also a lot of fun to challenge your friends and family.
Wooden puzzles
Wooden brain teaser are not only fun, they are also an excellent design object.
Release the wooden ball inside the cage, then reassemble it.
They exist any any size or shape, and there are thousand of models available at reasonable prices. Some are handmade and can be displayed on a shelve, some just exist for fun and should be solved and reassembled as quick as possible.Wood is durable, has a nice feel, but is usually a little more expensive than plastic or other materials. You pay a price for quality though.
Metal puzzles
Metal puzzles, or sometimes called tavern puzzles, are small metal pieces combined into a puzzle. The challenge is to disassemble it without twisting the metal and then reassemble it.
This one is called Old Shackles
These puzzles exist in grades of difficulty.Usually small and easy to carry, these games are also great for kids (as long as they don't get frustrated fast ;-)).
Most of the time, the solution to these metal games is not to make the most obvious move.
Different materials
The most challanging brain teasers are often made of wood or metal, but adding rope, marbles and more gives an additional level of posibilities.
If you want to drink, release the bottle.
I personally love the series that combine wood with rope (see example on the left). Several different editions exist and each one has several tricks to solve it. General rule is that the rings are never big enough for the wooden balls to pass through, but somehow can be untangled anyway.
There is no need to use force, even tho it would probably make things easier.
Some versions, like the one above, gives a reward for solving the puzzle. These are great for party games or to give as a fun gift for the host.
The master of brain teasers
Several different designs exist, but the original with 3x3 blocks is usually challenging enough.
There are several solutions for the Rubik's Cube, most solving the cube in under 100 moves.
The record of solving the cube is about 5.5 seconds for humans and 3.25 seconds for a robot built from Lego blocks.
I have several cubes at home, some are given away for free for marketing purposes, but the original one with 6 colors is still the best. If you are going for record speed, you should maintain your cube and lubricate it once in a while.
Variations include bigger sizes (a 4x4x4 or even 17x17x17 cube exists).
