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CLASSES of MECHANICAL PUZZLES |
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Click "Main Class" below for examples in Puzzles of Month, or Click picture for more information. |
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DEXTERITY PUZZLES (DEX) require the use of manual dexterity or other physical skills in their solution |
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CODE | CLASS | EXAMPLES |
DEX-UNCA | Uncased Dexterities | Cup & Ball, "Le Pendu", "Theo der Turnier", Tomy's "Crazy Maze", Puzzles using Tops |
DEX-BALL | Dexterity. Plain Balls into holes | Pentangle "Roly-Poly" puzzles |
DEX-OBST | Dexterity with sundry obstacles &/or objects | Ramps - bridges - jumping beans - etc. |
DEX-LQOB | Liquid objects | Mercury manipulation |
DEX-INLQ | Dexterity in Liquid | Water-filled puzzles |
DEX-MIRR | Indirect viewing by mirror | Kohner's "Nervous Breakdown" |
DEX-MECH | Mechanised | Tomy's "Pocketeers" |
DEX-TOOL | Using tools & magnetic tools | Reiss "Magnetic Puzzle-Ups" |
DEX-RTFL | Route following Dexterity | Farmer's "Silver Bullet", Tomy's"Supermazes", Binary Arts "Back-Flip" |
DEX-HIDD | Objects concealed from view | Four Generations "Ball in Block", Engel's "Black Box" |
DEX-ELEC | Electrical & Electronic Dexterities | Nintendo's "Game & Watch" series. |
DEX-PINB | Pinball related dexterities | Bagatelle |
DEX-OTH | Other Dexterities | Pneumatic operation |
ROUTEFINDING PUZZLES (RTF) require the solver to find either any path, or a specific path as defined by certain rules |
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CODE | CLASS | EXAMPLES |
RTF-CPLX | Routefinding with Changing Path &/or Complex Traveller | "Frying Pan"(changing), "Yankee"(complex), "Tandem Maze"(complex), "Bootlegger"(complex) |
RTF-STEP | Routefinding Step Mazes | Ring & Hole mazes, "Pike's Peak" |
RTF-UNIC | Unicursal Routefinding | Icosian Game, Konigsburg Bridges |
RTF-SHOR | Shortest Route | - |
RTF-ANY | Route Mazes (any path) | Most Hedge mazes, Mazes on surface of a cube, Ball in 4x4x4 cube of cubelets |
RTF-OTH | Complex Route Mazes with special objectives | "Worried Woodworm", Colour Mazes, Number totalling mazes, avoiding objects, visiting places en route |
TANGLEMENT PUZZLES (TNG) have parts that must be linked or unlinked. The linked parts, which may be flexible, have significant freedom of movement in relation to each other, unlike the parts of an interlocking puzzle |
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CODE | CLASS | EXAMPLES |
TNG-RIGI | Tanglement of Rigid & Semi Rigid Parts | Wire PUZZLES, Cast "ABC", Chinese Rings |
TNG-R&F | Tanglement of Rigid & Flexible Parts | Hess Wire puzzles, Dalgety's "Devil's Halo" |
TNG-FLEX | All Flexible Parts | Leather tanglement puzzles |
TNG-RING | Puzzle Finger Rings | Puzzle Rings, Puzzle Bracelets |
OPENING PUZZLES (OPN) are puzzles in which the principle object is to open it, close it, undo it, remove something from it, or otherwise get it to work. They usually comprise a single object or associated parts such as a box with its lid, a padlock and its hasp, or a nut & bolt. The mechanism of the puzzle is not usually apparent, nor do they involve general assembly or disassembly of parts that interlock in 3D. |
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CODE | CLASS | EXAMPLES |
OPN-BOX | Opening Containers | Boxes, Purses |
OPN-LOCK | Opening Locks | Padlocks |
OPN-HIDD | Opening/finding Hidden Compartments not originally designed as puzzles | Chippendale Tea-Chests, Poison Rings. |
OPN-OTH | Opening other objects | Nut & Bolt, Knives, Pens, Cutlery, Oskar's Keys, Oskar's "Dovetail", "Hazelgrove Box" |
INTERLOCKING PUZZLES (INT) interlock in three dimensions, i.e. one or more pieces hold the rest together, or the pieces are mutually self-sustaining. Many clip-together puzzles are "non-interlocking" |
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CODE | CLASS | EXAMPLES |
INT-BOX | Boxes that disassemble | Strijbos Aluminium Burr Box |
INT-CART | Cartesian (Internal Parts along 3 mutually perpendicular axes) | Burrs, Cutler's Burr in a glass, most plastic keychains, JWIP, "Nine of Swords" |
INT-POLY | Interlocking Polyhedral & other non-cartesian geometric shapes | Coffin's "Saturn", Squashed burrs |
INT-OTH | Other Interlocking Shapes | "Tak-it-Apart", "Plato's Plight" |
JIGSAW PUZZLES (JIG) are made as if cut or stamped into pieces from a single complete object, and the principle objective is to restore them to their unique original form. |
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CODE | CLASS | EXAMPLES |
JIG-STD | Standard Jigsaws | Can include double sided puzzles, & jigsaws with holes & gaps |
JIG-IDEN | Jigsaws with identical pieces | "Shmuzzles", Ceramic hexagons, Picture Cubes & Blocks |
JIG-SLOP | Jigsaws with non perpendicular/sloping cuts | "Broken Heart", Japanese "Sabre Tooth Tiger" |
JIG-LAYR | Multiple layer Jigsaws | Transparent Escher jigsaw |
JIG-OTH | Other jigsaws | Stave variable picture, "Toyznet", Bilhourd's incomplete surfaces |
ASSEMBLY PUZZLES (NON‑INTERLOCKING) (ASS) require the arrangement of separate pieces to make specific shapes without regard to the sequence of that placing, they may clip together but do not interlock in 3D. Some have a container and are posed as packing problems. |
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CODE | CLASS | EXAMPLES |
ASS-CART | Assembly of Cartesian Parts | Pentominoes, Checkerboards, Polycubes, Soma, "Hoffman" cube, "Managon", "Even Steven", Squashed Soma, Laker Cube |
ASS-STRA | Straight Edge/Face Non-cartesian | Tangram, T-puzzle, Triangular & Hexagonal polyominoes, 9-piece ivory cube |
ASS-POLY | Assembly Polyhedra & Spheres | Ball Pyramids |
ASS-OTH | Assembly of other shapes | Pack the Plums, Apple & Worms, "Phoney Baloney", Gears |
PATTERN PUZZLES (PAT) require the placing or arrangement of separate pieces of a similar nature to complete surface patterns according to defined rules. The pattern required may be the matching of edges of squares, faces of cubes, etc. The pattern may be colour, texture, shape, etc. Where the pattern is due to differences in shape they must be sufficiently minor not to obscure the similarity of the pieces |
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CODE | CLASS | EXAMPLES |
PAT-EDGE | Matching Edges &/or Corners patterns | Heads & Tails, "Dodeca", Macmahon squares |
PAT-STIX | Patterns of sticks | Match Puzzles, Jensen's "Tricky Laberint" |
PAT-NUMB | Arrangements of Number Patterns | Magic Squares, Number Puzzles |
PAT-SIMI | Pattern arrangements of similar, points, pegs, or pieces according to predetermined rules | Queens on Chess Board, Josephus, Waddington's "Black Box", "Instant Insanity", "Dodeca", Macmahon cubes, Bognar's "Planets" |
PAT-DISS | Arrangement of dissimilar pieces to make pattern according to predetermined rules | "Testa", Skor Mor's "Instant Indecision", Chinese Balls in Ball, Waddington's "Kolor Kraze" |
PAT-STAK | Stacking, Overlapping & Weaving Patterns | Stacking Transparent Layers, "Lapin", Loyd's Donkeys, Weaving puzzles |
PAT-OTH | Other Pattern puzzles | Oskar's "Solar System" |
FOLDING & HINGED PUZZLES (FOL) have parts that are joined together and usually do not come apart. They are solved by hinging, flexing, or folding |
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CODE | CLASS | EXAMPLES |
FOL-SPRI | Folding Springy wire and strips | "Why Knots", Mobius Strips |
FOL-HGOP | Folding Hinged parts in Open chain | Rubik's "Snake", Strung Cubes, Clinch Cube |
FOL-HGCL | Hinged Parts in Closed chain | Flexagons, Rubik's "Magic", "Flexicube" |
FOL-SHEE | Folding sheets & strips | Map Folding, "Jail Nixon", strip polyhedra |
SEQUENTIAL MOVEMENT PUZZLES (SEQ) are those that can be solved only by moves which can be seen to be dependant on previously made moves. |
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CODE | CLASS | EXAMPLES |
SEQ-PLAC | Sequential Placement | "Psychic Puzzle", "Fit Puzzle" |
SEQ-RIVR | Sequential River Crossing | "Wolf,Sheep & Cabbage" |
SEQ-HOPP | Sequential Hopping & Jumping. | Solitaire, Tower of Hanoi, Counter & Peg moving puzzles |
SEQ-SIMP | Sequential Simple Sliding & Shunting (No group moves needed) | 15s puzzle, Tit-Bit's "Teasers", "Inversions" |
SEQ-GRP | Sliding & Shunting with Mechanical or Rotating parts (some Group moves NEEDED) | "Tower of Babel", "Missing Link", "Backspin", "Turntable Train", Tomy's "Great Gears", Raba's "Rotascope", "Rubik's" Cube, "Orbit" |
SEQ-ROLL | Sequential Rolling | Rolling 8 Cubes |
SEQ-OTH | Sequential Miscellaneous Mechanical | "The Brain", "Hexadecimal", "Spin Out" |
JUGS & VESSELS (JUG) have a mechanical puzzle or trick in their construction that affects the filling, pouring or drinking therefrom. |
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CODE | CLASS | EXAMPLES |
JUG-STD | Puzzle Vessels standard (built-in tubes to suck) | - |
JUG-CPLX | Complex Vessels requiring special manipulation | Gemma Patent 2006, Combination JUG-STD/JUG-BASE |
JUG-BASE | Vessels that pour from Base | "Jolly Jugs", Thrift Cups |
JUG-NLID | Lidless Vessels (fill from base) | Cadogan Teapots, Chinese winepots |
JUG-OTH | Other vessels | Royale's "Self-Pouring" Patent, Spoutless winepots (hydraulic seal) |
OTHER TYPES OF MECHANICAL PUZZLES & OBJECTS. (OTH) This group is for puzzle objects that do not easily fall into the above categories and cannot be categorised into sufficiently large groups to warrant their own major class. Included in this group are Balancing, Measuring, Cutting, Math, Logic, Trick, Mystery, & Theoretical puzzles . Also provision is made for puzzles pending classification. |
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CODE | CLASS | EXAMPLES |
OTH-ELEC | Electrical & Electronic (non-dexterity) | - |
OTH-BAL | Balancing (non-dexterity) | "Columbus Egg" |
OTH-MEAS | Measuring & Weighing Puzzles | Jugs & Liquids, 12 Golf Balls, Archimedes Gold |
OTH-CUT | Cutting Puzzles | Cork for 3 Holes, Five Squares Puzzle |
OTH-WORD | Puzzles applied to objects, the puzzle more usually found printed on paper | Rebus, Anagrams, Riddles, Crosswords, Etc. (on Plates, Jugs, Loo Paper, etc.) |
OTH-RIDD | Riddles | Riddles (on Plates, Jugs, Loo Paper, etc.) |
OTH-GAME | Puzzle related games and toys. | Pocketeer Bean Bop, Parker's "Orion" "Mind Maze" & "Situation 4", Rubik's Challenge |
OTH-MATH | Mathematical Puzzles (excluding number pattern arrangements) | - |
OTH-LOGI | Logic Puzzles | Cartoon pictures to arrange in order |
OTH-TRIK | Trick or Catch Puzzles (solution needs subterfuge) | "Infernal Bottle", Some magic tricks |
OTH-MAGI | Magic & Conjuring Puzzles | Self-working magic tricks |
OTH-MYST | Objects whose function or material is a mystery | Wotsits, Creteco spacers |
OTH-VIRT | Puzzles whose existence is only theoretically possible. | Such as 4d puzzles, or those which can ONLY be represented on a computer |
OTH-SET | Sets of Puzzles of Mixed Type | Compendiums of mixed type puzzles |
OTH-PEND | PENDING CLASSIFICATION !! | Puzzles awaiting classification |
AMBIGUOUS PICTURES & PUZZLING OBJECTS (AMB) in which something appears impossible or ambiguous. |
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CODE | CLASS | EXAMPLES |
AMB-POBJ | Paradoxical Objects (Objects that apparently cannot be made) | Arrow through bottle, Impossible Dovetails, Oskar's "Escher Puzzle", Penrose triangles. |
AMB-VANI | Vanishing Images | "Vanishing Leprechauns", Hoopers paradox |
AMB-DIST | Distortions | Anamorphic pictures |
AMB-ARCH | Archimboldesque Objects | Pictures and objects of one subject made up from unrelated images or objects. |
AMB-HIDD | Hidden Image Pictures (no manipulation required) | Devinettes (obscure outlines), "Spot the Difference", Random Dot Stereograms |
AMB-HMAN | Hidden Image Pictures (Manipulation Required) | "Naughty Butterflys", "Find the 5th Pig", Needing coloured overlays, Soot on unglazed part of ashtray |
AMB-TURN | Pictures that require turning to show different images. | Landscape turned to make a portrait, Topsey Turveys, OHOs, Courtship/Matrimony, Monk/donkey vesta |
AMB-ILLU | Perception Illusions | Optical Illusions, Weight Illusions |
NON-PUZZLE but related EPHEMERA (EPH) has been included as most puzzle collections include related ephemera which, whilst not strictly puzzles, need to be classified as part of the collection. |
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CODE | CLASS | EXAMPLES |
EPH-SHAD | Shadow effects | Hold to light cards producing movements by shadows, Shadowgraphs, Wiggle-Woggle Hold--to-Light cards |
EPH-HTL | Images revealed by Holding to Light | Protean Views, Hold to Light advertisements |
EPH-MICR | Images & words concealed by extreme smallness | Micro printing |
EPH-MOIR | Effects produced by moire patterns | - |
EPH-HOLO | Holograms | Holograms of Puzzles solving themselves |
EPH-ANAG | Anaglyphs | Requiring red & green glasses for either 3D or movement effects |
EPH-STRP | Strip Pictures (Different views from different angles) | Framed strip prints showing 3 different views |
EPH-OTH | Other puzzle related ephemera | Non-rebus heiroglyphics |
The Puzzle Classification was completed in 1999 and in the past 7 years it has only been found necessary to add Sub-Class - OTH-GAME for Games that are related to Puzzles. In 2010 the sub-class -REL was added to ALL main classes to cover the many objects that are found in Puzzle Collections which are related to, but not in themselves, puzzles. New Subclasses are still under consideration : Considering for dropping: -
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Puzzle Classification - Introduction & Definitions Puzzle Classification - Detail Table Puzzle Classification - Making a Database Puzzles of Month indexed by Class |