I've been collecting puzzles for over 10 years now, and I've lost count how many countries I have puzzles from. But one thing I know for certain: up until now, I didn't have any puzzle from Colombia. Thanks to Nelson Robayo, who created the Boli-Loco puzzle, I can now add Colombia to the countries where I have puzzles from.

The Boli-Loco puzzle is a very clever design made with 19 marbles in three different colors (yellow, blue and red - the Colombian flag colors). The marbles are enclosed in a transparent box with notches on the cover that make it some sort of a labyrinth. You turn the puzzle from side to side, up and down, so that the marbles navigate the labyrinth and make the patterns you see on the bottom of the puzzle. There are six different patterns to solve, but as with any pattern puzzles, you can most certainly create your own designs, your imagination being the limit.

What capture my attention in the Boli-Loco puzzle right away was the patterns you can make with the marbles. Puzzles that allow me to use my creative side are always a must-have for me, and this one is no exception. I loved it from the start.

The patterns presented all have various ways to solve except for the last one, which as you can see, you have to make the Colombian flag. The other patterns can have the marbles anywhere except for the colors marked on the challenge. For example, the pattern with the blue cross (above left). You only need to worry about the position of the blue marbles. The other colors are not important, which makes the first five challenges easier than the last one. From the patterns presented, I would say they are in sequential order from left to right, easy to difficult. Making the Colombian flag was definitely the hardest one to solve.

Closing Comments:

The Boli-Loco puzzle was a pleasant surprise, even more so because I didn't know the designer. It's a great design with an original and interesting concept, perfect for creative minds. Be sure to check back soon, since I have another puzzle from the same designer, which I'll be reviewing soon.

Availability: The Boli-Loco puzzle is available from PuzzleMaster for just $15.99. Check out more designs from Nelson Robayo.

I finally have the whole Svetnashki family together! The Svetnashki 6x4 was the last one to be added to my collection, and it's a beauty.

This one is slightly larger than the smallest 4x4 Svetnashki, obviously because of its larger shape. It's small enough to carry around with you, and you couldn't ask for a better companion for those dull moments.

If you don't know what a Svetnashki is or does, check out my other reviews on the different versions. In short, a Svetnashki plays with light by polarizing the tiles from a clear color to a dark color and vice-versa. This is not a novelty concept, but utilizing it for a puzzle is a stroke of genius.

By having the tiles polarized or not, you'll create patterns, which in turn make the main goal of the puzzle: have all tiles polarized (dark) or transparent. All other combinations in between create a myriad of patterns that will make any puzzle enthusiast thrilled. In particular, the Svetnashki 6x4 can create more rectangular patterns, as opposed to its square brethren, due to its shape. This is great if you want to create letter-shaped patterns, for example.

Ever since I got my first Svetnashki back in 2010, I was fascinated by its simple and yet beautiful design. I was always a sucker for pattern puzzles, and you can see this by my various reviews on this subject. Making patterns is a way to get your creative mind going, to imagine something in your mind and achieving it with a series of movements, which you can manipulate and control, is my ultimate definition of fun. That's why the Svetnashki puzzles remain as one of my all-time favorite puzzles.

Closing Comments:

If you still don't have a Svetnashki in your collection, do yourself a favor and get one. It's that good. Whether you're a casual or seasoned puzzler, this is a must-have for curious and creative minds.

Availability: You can get the Svetnashki 6x4 at PuzzleMaster for just $27.99 CAD. Check out the other Svetnashki versions.

It's been 8 years since I first reviewed the original Svetnashki and its other versions, the puzzle that uses polarized light. A simple explanation just doesn't make it justice, though. It was already one of my favorite puzzles back then, and eight years on, it's still an absolute favorite, probably in my top 3. It was invented by Vladimir Krasnoukhov.

What fascinates me in this puzzle is the simple process in which a clear or transparent tile can be transformed into a dark tile by what appears to be a magic trick. When a tile passes through one of the polarized filters in the back of the puzzle, it appears as clear or dark. There's no magic involved, though, just pure science. If you want to know more about the science behind this concept, check out this link.

Over the years, as I gathered more and more puzzles in my collection, I always found myself returning to this simple puzzle time and time again. The fact that there's no right or wrong solution is also quite appealing. You make your own patterns. There's a couple of simple challenges, though, like having all the tiles appear as clear or all as dark. When you master these two challenges, you can make any type of pattern the 4x4 grid allows. Think the 4x4 grid is too small? You can also get it bigger, in a 6x4 or 6x6.

I already had in my collection the white 4x4 (my first Svetnashki), the bigger 4x4, the double-layer 4x4 and the larger 6x6. Each, a blast to play with. Since blue is my favorite color, I had to have this one as well, and because it's small, it's great to take it with me anywhere. It's a great puzzle to relax.

Closing Comments:

If you still don't have a Svetnashki, please consider your collection incomplete. This is an absolute must-have in any respectable collection. I promise you, you won't be disappointed. Playing with light has never been as fun as this.

Availability: You can find the Svetnashki Blue at PuzzleMaster for just $17.99 CAD. For other versions, check out this link.

Our Common Goal is yet another interesting puzzle from the German manufacturer Philos, designed by Logan Kleinwaks. I'm a sucker for pattern puzzles and this one captured my attention right away because of its high contrast of light and dark shades made by hevea and samena woods.

The puzzle features 16 identically shaped pieces, although there are seven different patterns of light/dark parts glued together. The goal of the puzzle was somewhat confusing to me at first. I thought the pieces had various ways to be put together in various patterns (7 to be exact), but it turns out that there's only one pattern you're supposed to do, which is the one that is already shown in the picture on the package, and it actually comes packaged in its solved state - shame really, because the explanation makes you think that there is 7 different patterns to build, but they're referring to the patterns on the pieces.

So, the goal is to remove the pieces from the tray, mix them, and then try to make the requested pattern. Don't be fooled by the fact that the puzzle comes in its solved state, because it will be quite challenging to return it to the original pattern. It is rated as a level 8/10, and I reckon it's pretty accurate, given the unusual shape of the pieces and how they must be packed in the tray. On top of that, you have to keep in mind which pieces to use at a certain time to make the original pattern.

The puzzle is more or less a 2-in-1 puzzle, as it's first and foremost a packing puzzle. Even though the pieces are identically shaped it's still challenging to pack them all in the tray. Try to do that by just packing the pieces and not minding the pattern. You'll see that it's not that easy. Now, try to pack them, this time carefully selecting the right pieces for each spot.

After solving the main - and only - challenge, I tried to make other patterns that made sense geometrically, but all I could come up with were random configurations. I still believe that with lots of patience and a careful analysis of the pieces it's possible to make other symmetrical - or at least less chaotic - patterns. If you put your mind to that, you might have a serious challenge in your hands. Are you up for that task?

Closing Comments:

Our Common Goal by Philos was a bit less than I was expecting, but still was quite a challenge. It is really well made, something already to be expected from the German manufacturer, and it could be used as a nice center piece to decorate a coffee table or a shelf.

Availability: You can get a copy of Our Common Goal at PuzzleMaster for $28.99 CAD. Check out other designs by Philos if you like their puzzles.

On the Dot is a very cool game from Brainwright with a simple but rather clever concept. Invented by Dominique Bodin, this game is a re-edition of the original Vitrail (translated from the French as stained glass) launched in 2006.

This concept, however, is not entirely new. If you're familiar with the Transposer puzzles, this is very similar in the way that you have to overlap cards so that they show a specific pattern. The game comes with four sets of transparent cards, each set in a different color. The pattern you see on each card is the same. In the other words, the position of the four dots found in each card is always the same, but the color arrangent differ from card to card. What's fascinating about it is that you can rearrange the cards in so many different patterns by just rotating and flipping them in any direction.

There are some rules you need to take into account in order to play the solitaire game. You can also play the game with more players, but for now let's just focus on the main game. There are 60 challenge cards included in the game. There are no difficulty levels indicated in the cards, but you can tell if it's an easy or a hard challenge by the number of dots that appear on each one.

To start a challenge you need to pick one set of transparent cards with the same color border and find a way to overlap all four cards so that only the spots on the challenge card are shown. The secret is to find a way to hide the spots you don't want to appear. The cards have to overlap in a square, not diagonally or other odd directions.

Most of the challenges are pretty easy to solve, even the ones that show more than four spots. What I found most interesting is that it didn't matter which set of cards you choose for any challenge. Each set has four cards with different color arrangements, but they're identical in each of the four sets. The reason there are four sets is to play with up to other three players. The rules are simple: just pick some challenge cards and race against your opponents to finish all the patterns first.

Closing Comments:

On the Dot is a pretty fun game to play. I prefer to play it alone, as I'm not very fond of playing multiplayer games. If you liked any of the Transposer puzzles this one will certainly please you as well.

Availability: On the Dot is currently out of stock at PuzzleMaster. Keep checking back on their website for updates on availability. In the meantime, you can check out other interesting puzzles and games from Brainwright.

Recently, I reviewed the Shape by Shape game from ThinkFun, one of their four "By" series, and I was quite impressed with the versatility of the game, which allows you to create all kinds of interesting shapes and patterns. Now, I've spent some time with another one of these fascinating games, the Square by Square, and I'm equally excited by its capability of pattern-making.

This time, instead of focusing on a Tangram-like concept, the makers of this game, Yoshikatsu Hara and Yoshio Kimura, were inspired by the nature of polyominoes (pieces made by joining square units into different shapes). In the game you can see a mixture of monominoes, dominoes, trominoes and tetrominoes. There are a total of 14 pieces, eight blue and six green, and with them you can create numerous patterns and shapes. The game already includes 60 challenge cards with figures for you to solve, but when you finish these you can resort to your imagination and creative skills to create your own patterns (see the example below, with my initials).

The goal of the game is to create an image from the challenge cards provided. The card only shows the shape, in green, and the rest of the frame is filled in blue. You'll have to use the green pieces to create the shape and then combine it with the blue pieces to complete the image. All pieces must be used, and you have to pay close attention to the relative position of the pattern in relation to the frame's borders, so you don't get stuck. If you do get stuck, you'll find hints at the back of each card to help you solve it, but I believe you won't need it that often...

From what I was able to experience so far, the Square by Square is the easiest game of the four, because the monominoes and dominoes ensure you have lots of possibilities to place them on the board. However, that doesn't mean it's not fun to play with it. In fact, it means it's easier to create your own patterns as well. Another perk of this game being easier is that each challenge has multiple solutions, many ways to reach the same goal.

The Square by Square is the perfect puzzle to get started on packing puzzles, because you'll learn more clearly the relationships between the different types of polyominoes and how they interact with each other. It will give you the confidence to try more demanding puzzles and, ultimately, enjoy them best.

Availability: I got the Square by Square at PuzzlesdeIngenio.com. You can also find there many other games from ThinkFun.

Tangram-like puzzles have come a long way since the original was brought to the west in 1815. The concept is so simple and yet it has been captivating the imagination of so many people for centuries. To me, there's nothing like the classic Tangram, but some variations still deserve our attention, if not for their originality. That's exactly what I feel about the Logic Egg (a.k.a Magic Egg or Columbus Egg), with the first versions introduced by the Richter Company in the 1890's.

The Logic Egg is made out of 9 pieces: four of them have an identical counterpart and only one piece is unique. When put together, the pieces form a flat egg-like shape. The version I got is very well built with natural wood and is presented in a nice box with a closing lid. Inside, you can see the pieces neatly packed into the egg shape and a slot with 54 cards with bird shapes. The theme of the puzzle is very original, showing you first the egg shape - where all birds come from - and from there all 54 shapes can be built with the nine pieces - you must use all the pieces in every challenge.

At first, I was having trouble solving the challenges, because the pieces have a very unique and peculiar shape that usually are not used in other puzzles: only three pieces have a regular shape, a triangle (two large ones and a smaller one). Also, the cards are not divided in difficulty levels, so you can't start with the easier ones - they're all challenging. As I went on, though, I started to  recognize patterns within the shapes that could only be accomplished with certain pieces, and the puzzles were slowly becoming easier to solve (emphasis on "easier", since these puzzles are not easy to solve).

I believe the puzzles on the Logic Egg get easier as you progress through all the cards, and this is where I reckon it lies the big difference between the original Tangram and other variations. Some Tangram shapes are still very difficult to solve, no matter how many you've managed to solved. It seems there's a special harmony between all seven pieces of the Tangram, a mathematical beauty, like no other puzzle has ever been able to achieve.

Closing Comments:

Packing puzzles and the likes are among my favorite puzzles. I love the idea of picking up a few pieces and turn them into something else, a recognizable shape, a symmetrical image, or simply anything your imagination commands you to. For this, I can easily recommend the Logic Egg to any puzzle fan out there.

Availability: The Logic Egg is available from Brilliant Puzzles, in the US, for $27.95. If you like egg-shaped puzzles, check out their other offers.

ThinkFun has a very interesting selection when it comes to logic games, which caters to all skill levels and personal tastes. One particular type of game that I find really interesting is their collection of four pattern games that I like to call the "By" series: Shape by Shape; Square by Square; Brick by Brick and Block by Block. These games have the ability of creating all kinds of 2D and 3D images, recognizable objects or shapes, using only a few pieces. The game featured in this review is the Shape by Shape, invented by Nobuyuki Yoshigahara, and is reminiscent of a well known classic puzzle, the Tangram.

The game actually reminds me of another great game (presentation-wise), the Lokulus, which is based on Archimedes' Stomachion puzzle. If you know or have played the Tangram puzzle before, then you'll feel right at home with Shape by Shape. The idea and principle behind the puzzle is basically the same: build recognizable shapes with the puzzle's pieces. The challenge here, however, seems a little more complex than the Tangram, mainly because instead of seven pieces there's a total of 14 pieces you need to assemble into any given shape.

The game consists of six red and eight yellow pieces. The high contrast between the two colors will ensure that any shape you build is clearly visible in the tray. Made with strong and durable plastic, the pieces are thick and very easy to handle. You can turn and flip any piece the way you want, as long as it lies flat on the game tray. To solve any shape, all the pieces must be used and the resulting image has to be a perfect match of its counterpart in the challenge card.

With 60 different shapes to try and solve, there's a lot of building to do before you get tired of the game. Unlike other logic games, the cards are not separated by levels of difficulty. Without a clear indication of difficulty, any challenge can be considered easier or harder than the previous one. The challenge of the game lies in combining the two groups of pieces, yellow and red, in the tray. It's essentially a 2-in-1 game, because you have to build the shape with the red pieces, and then the yellow ones have to be placed as well to complete the picture.

You can build the shape first and work around it by placing the remaining yellow pieces, or you can do a mixture of both, placing red and yellow pieces alternately. I found it easier to just build the shape first, like a Tangram puzzle. Each challenge has more than one solution, so you can always try to find alternative arrangements for the pieces.

Closing Comments:

Shape by Shape is a great puzzle for any Tangram aficionado. Like its older cousin, the possibilities are virtually endless, so you can also try to build your own shapes. I still prefer the Lokulus game, but this one comes very close.

Availability: You can get the Shape by Shape game at PuzzlesdeIngenio.com for €16.95. You can also find there other games by ThinkFun.

Links:

ThinkFun's Official Website

Puzumi is a new website, owned by German Calas, and is the result of a close collaboration with Kate Jones, CEO of Kadon Enterprises, to re-brand their beloved acrylic puzzles towards a wider online market. I reckon you'll be hearing a lot from them in the near future...

The first puzzle from Puzumi I chose to review was the Roundominoes, designed by Kate Jones and created in 1986. This one is a perfect representation of the puzzles you'll see available at Puzumi: hundreds of addicting challenges to solve and many fun strategy games for 2 players. If the included challenge booklet is not enough for you, you can also create your own patterns with all, or just some, of its pieces.

Roundominoes is made from 28 laser-cut acrylic glass tiles in 7 different shapes. There's five different color patterns you can choose from when you order it. The pieces come neatly packed, in a near perfect symmetry, in a 14.5 x 14.5cm (5 3/4") scalloped-edge tray. Here, you can also choose from a black or white tray. As perfectly described by Kate Jones, the pieces have these strikingly beautiful jewel-like colors. Honestly, this is something very difficult to photograph and to make it justice. Only in person you can witness its true beauty.

Building patterns with the Roundominoes is not overly difficult in itself, although there are some pretty tough ones to try. The hardest part about them is to try and solve them with the best symmetrical pattern you can find, which most of the times is extremely difficult. Each of the included challenges always has dozens of possible solutions, but only a fraction of them show a more elegant arrangement. It's up to your patience level to settle with a valid solution or to go that extra mile and find that perfect solution.

To avoid a long and tedious review, I selected a few of the challenges you'll encounter in the included 15-page booklet. They will be more like a tease of what this fascinating little puzzle can do. All of the booklet content is enough to keep you occupied for months. Can't think of a better value for your money when it comes to packing puzzles...

Many of the Roundominoes challenges and the strategy games will only use some of the 28 pieces, and with the irregular-edged tray it can sometimes be a little difficult to know where exactly each piece goes. To help you this, a printed game grid was included to place in the bottom of the tray and show you the exact spots of the 49 circles. You can remove it after you finish a challenge for that extra shiny and transparent look. Below is an example of a strategy game where you use the singlerounds as tokens and take turns with another player to place one piece at a time in the board. The last player to fit a piece in the board wins a token and the first to reach four tokens wins.

Below are three examples of challenges that use less than a full set of pieces. The first, two 3x3 squares, can be achieved with only two types of pieces and a perfect symmetric pattern. The second, a wreath, a tad more difficult, uses a big part of the grid, but leaves empty spaces, which are quite tricky to visualize as you try to get the right pieces in place. I couldn't come up with a good symmetry for this one, but a better arrangement is most certainly possible. Finally, the third is a diagonal stripe. I thought it was best to photograph it with the tray in the diagonal to better showcase its nice symmetry.

Next, you can find examples of two letters from the alphabet, the G and the F - I wonder what these two stand for... They weren't so difficult to solve, but symmetry is hard to achieve with those letter shapes. You can solve any of the 26 alphabet letters and the ampersand, always with less than a full set.

(Click to Enlarge) - Lucky Number 7

Roundominoes, just like the two puzzles I already own from Kate, is among my absolute favorite puzzles in my collection. Having recently surpassed the 1000 puzzle mark, this only goes to show the real value of this magnificent puzzle. Now, with Puzumi, you can expect high quality puzzles at affordable prices, and if you don't already own one, you're missing out on some of the best looking puzzles you'll ever have the pleasure of playing with.

When it comes to puzzles like Roundominoes, I always like to say, your imagination is the limit. Acrylic puzzles never looked so amazing.

Availability: The Roundominoes is available at Puzumi in 5 different color patterns. For an additional challenge and more ways to build patterns, you can go for the Super Roundominoes, which packs four more different types of pieces. To browse other great puzzles from Puzumi, check out their online store.