Pin block case

Designed by Katsumoto, this apparently easy puzzle is a very clever packing puzzle.

So only 4 pieces with some pins to pack inside a box. Remember the best packing puzzles almost always look easy and almost always have very few pieces :)


Soon you will realize that putting the 3rd piece is impossible or difficult if you try to pack in a "standard" way the pieces. Sliding pieces will be needed!

For such puzzles when it's not easy to put your fingers inside the box to move the pieces, I always try to make the shape with the pieces outside of the box. Think out of the box makes sense here.
Then I see if moving pieces can be done inside the box, and if not then I try to find another shape with the pieces.
Many more moves than expected will be needed to solve the puzzle, with big "hah-ha"

For me this puzzle really embodies the perfect packing puzzle: challenging but not frustrating with an unconventional way of solving it.

I am sure you will like it as much as I did. It appears in my top best packing puzzle.

Yuu Asaka made it again!! Wave 5 & Ice 9

So here comes the time to review the latest 2 puzzles designed and made by Yuu.

Some points good to mention before: the quality is still very good with a great contrast of colors between the color of the pieces and the color of the tray.
Also this time the pieces are not transparent, so less prone to fingerprints. And I like the smoothness of these pieces!

So let's start with the first: Wave 5
Like its brother you have some wave-shaped pieces to pack inside the tray.
How difficult can it be? Well it's hard, it's puzzling, it's fun!
I was wondering why Yuu seemed to make difficult puzzles and then easier after. Like for example he released jigsaw 29 and then jigsaw 19, and clearly 19 is easier than 29.

Some may think it's easier then. Well wave 7 was super hard. Wave 5 is maybe a little bit less hard, but it's still very challenging and not that way easier.

I cannot say more, but you will have your "aha-moment" for sure pretty soon in your puzzling journey ;)

It took me a lot of time, way more than I expected. I like it a lot.

Now, Ice 9: the beast!!

Some nice pieces with weird angles.....The challenge is that you have many pieces that can go with many other due to the rounded or curved angles of the pieces. So a lot of possibilities to put the pieces together....and obviously you will have some holes as the pieces cannot cover the whole tray.

This is probably the most difficult puzzles in the whole series (as of now...who knows about the future hahaha) and this will keep you puzzling for long time. 

Trust me the "aha-moment" comes at the very end...and you really realize how Yuu is a very devilish guy. He likes to put you on the wrong way and you will do so....until you try new things.....

As with his previous puzzles, I can only say that you should definitely buy both puzzles. 

You can click on the link of each puzzle to see where you can buy them. I don't think these puzzles are limited edition, but they may take "a bit" of time to make, so if you're in a hurry to be "puzzle-tortured", hurry up and send Yuu an email ;-)

 

 

Solution for Wave 5

 

Solution for Ice 9

 

 

If you want to get all the Yuu's puzzle in one go and have a nice reduction in price: here