Best products from r/puzzles

Okay, let's start with logic puzzles. Ironically, the one person who has arguably done the most to improve the crossword puzzle has done the most to damage the logic puzzle: Will Shortz. If you see a logic puzzle book with Shortz's name on it, you can be guaranteed that the puzzles in that book are computer generated.

There are surprisingly few sources of good, handmade logic puzzles, but you can definitely tell the difference between a logical solving path that has been created by hand, and one that a computer churned out.

I'd say the best logic puzzle books are by Thomas Snyder, Sudoku and World Puzzle Champion. You can find a list of his published books here. Snyder has recently gone to self-publishing. He has a really great website at GrandMaster Puzzles which offers a new puzzle six days a week made by one of the top constructors in the world. The site also offers several minibooks for about $4 each and plan on releasing these minibooks regularly for the foreseeable future.

Another good bet is anything by the publisher Nikoli. They are a regular Japanese publisher, but they've released several books of puzzles like this one. Again, they're handmade and clever. I wouldn't say that they're exactly pushing the envelope like Snyder and his ilk are, but I am happy to have bought all of the available US Nikoli books. They're all fun solves.

This looks like an intriguing puzzle, but very hard to get started on. (Especially now, looking at it on my phone with no ability to rotate squares)

A couple thoughts:

1. Seems like it might be too difficult for the casual passerby. (You could test this by making paper cubes, maybe with a chopstick going thru them so they can rotate, and asking a friend to solve it.)
   
   
2. I can't tell what's important -- the colors? the fact that some letters are upside-down?
   
   
3. It seems like the solution might not use all the letters...?
   
   
4. Will the solution have some of its letters upside-down? That doesn't seem... quite right...?
   
   
5. Will some of the words be on the back side? Is that why some letters are upside-down?
   
   Especially without instructions, it seems like it might be hard for a casual puzzle solver to be sure these cubes are actually a puzzle that can be solved.
   
   To be clear, I love the idea of putting out a giant puzzle, but I feel like there should be some way for a solver to get some initial success to give him the confidence that he's on the right track and should keep working the puzzle.
   
   The ideal would be a puzzle that requires no instructions, but that seems tricky.
   
   I originally thought you could make a version of this puzzle: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004KCN6EQ
   
   But that has a problem in that it would require instructions: "Arrange these so that the same color doesn't bla bla bla..."
   
   I'm tempted to make an interactive version of your puzzle, so I can try spinning the cubes. But, like the casual passerby, I'm not sure I could get to a solution (especially if I only simulated one side and your solution required front, back, bottom, etc)
   
   But I'd like to hear more.

I have one just like it and I can solve it - explaining it is tricky, but here goes

Take the loop of string that's in the center on the back side of the puzzle - the bit that loops through the metal ring and around the post - all your work will be with this loop

>!Feed that loop from the back, through one of the outer posts (either one because you need to do both) following the string that leads to the "bone"!<

>!Now, you need to pass your loop around the end of the bone AND around the small loop that traps the bone - just go around everything at that end of the bone. Your loop should now be in the middle of the bone!<

>!Next, push a portion of your loop along the bone from the front and under the small loop, allowing you to move it over the end of the bone and back out of the small loop on the back side of the bone - this is the crucial unlocking move. !<

>!Now you can pull your loop back up through the outer post. It might be a little confusing at first as to where "your" loop is because things will be different, but it should become clear as you try to repeat the steps on the other side !<

Things should be somewhat simplified at this point - if it seems like you're tying more knots, then you've done something wrong and should try to get back to the starting configuration.

Now repeat the same steps using the other outer post.

>!When you bring your loop back through the outer post and back to the center, it will pass through the hole and free the ring!<

And that should do it. To put it back, you'll need to >!make a loop in the middle of the rope, feed it through the ring (on the front side)!<, >!feed it through the center post (front-to-back)!< and then reverse the steps on each side so as to double-trap the loop again.

Have fun!

As disentanglements go, this one is relatively easy (no offense). The only real complication is that it's sort of like two puzzles merged into one, so you have to do everything twice. But each half is a relatively straightforward ring-and-post trap (e.g. the trapped heart which can come off either end of the bone or the Hanayama Cast Harmony that adds an extra twist before you can get to the ring-and-post).

For a much more difficult version of the same sort of trap-and-release puzzle with mostly variations on the same mechanism, try Make My Day or Scorpian's Sting. There are lots of intermediate variations,too.

If you're interested in getting into disentanglements, a really great deal is the Houdini set - it's practically a step-by-step course in these sorts of disentanglements - you can often find them for under $15 if you look around (or on ebay, there are people trying to get $30+ for them!)

And checkout /r/mechanicalpuzzles for more!

There are tons of kinds of puzzles. Generally a good way to start is by picking a style you already like.

Sometimes you can find a specific puzzle you like, and tweak the inputs such that the output is foxwoods or whatever.

If you're looking for general puzzle-making advice, this book is a reasonable place to start.

If you want ideas about ideas for puzzle types that you can mold into what you want, then give us something to work with - like a topic or puzzle theme that your friend especially likes, more narrow than 'casinos'.

I would suggest something like these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004H1V5RU/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1449247104&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=maze+ball+perplexus&dpPl=1&dpID=51JJuItmd6L&ref=plSrch

Or something cheaper like this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004TGVNHA/ref=pd_aw_sim_21_of_50?ie=UTF8&dpID=51RGwIrvPTL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_SL500_SR100%2C100_&refRID=0WGCBKJ879FD6RPNVN17

Or something more expensive like this:
http://www.revomaze.co.uk/wordpress/?product=v1-blue

Or:
http://www.sloyd.fi/cube-p-625.html

Or:
http://www.sloyd.fi/gordians-knot-p-373.html

Or:
http://www.sloyd.fi/penguins-p-1057.html

Hope this helps, and just ask if you need more info about anything listed.. Have tried to solve all of them :)

The Best Word Search Book Ever Made (So Far)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1790119855/

Only $5.00 right now, I set the price as low as I could because I just released it and want to be in the best position to get the so-important early surge of sales and reviews. It was $4.44 earlier today because sometimes Amazon mysteriously changes the prices... You missed out on $0.54, maybe you'll find it in your couch cushions.

It's a book of 115 word searches that are a little more difficult – and a lot more engaging – than what you might be used to. Good mix of different kinds of twists on the traditional puzzle, but nothing too crazy. Good for all ages but probably a little too difficult in places for kids under twelve.

Most of the puzzles are "large print" but some of the search word lists are probably too small for people with vision problems. I tried to incorporate as much accessibility as possible, but for some puzzles was unable to do that without compromising the content.

Reviews are always appreciated. It's a tough business!

Thanks everyone, there are a lot of interesting puzzles in this thread.

'The Chicken from Minsk' is great fun. 'The Chicken from Minsk: And 99 Other Infuriatingly Challenging Brain Teasers from the Great Russian Tradition of Math and Science [Paperback]
Yuri Chernyak (Author), Robert M. Rose (Author).'

The text marked with ']' says "We are watching you", and the text above the the circle symbol says "Trust in him, for we know not of who we really are without him"

Amazon is selling an amulet with that same symbol on it, and it says "This talisman has been historically associated with wealth and success since the medieval times. The design consists of four protective crosses guarding the four cardinal points. Inside is the symbol AGLA, which are the first letters of the Latin sentence meaning “Thou art mighty forever, O Lord."

The Random House guide too cryptic crosswords by Cox & Rathvon has a great how-to guide, as well as a bunch of fun puzzles.

Foldology is an origami paper-folding puzzle game. I'm just a guy into puzzles whose worked on this for over a year now, and I think it's come out pretty well. Please check it out. I'm just starting out with this, so every review means a whole lot to me. Thank you.

Not to blow my own horn, but if an e-book would work for you, you might enjoy Spot The Alien. It's a series of logic puzzles set in a small town being invaded by aliens.

I also highly recommend Raymond Smullyan's Alice in Puzzle-land, which is a classic.

Check out SumSearch - like a word search but with simple addition. Assuming they can handle added up to 20, it should be perfect for that age range.

The best book I know about different kinds of puzzles is Puzzlecraft, by Thomas Snyder and Mike Selinker. I don't remember how international it is, though it certainly covers many of what would be considered "Japanese" logic puzzle types (how Japanese they are is questionable).

There's an 11-step procedure in the book Puzzlecraft: The Ultimate Guide on How to Construct Every Kind of Puzzle, if you have it.