Not one of the regular Hordern or Slocum puzzle classification categories the term Sequential Discovery puzzle has been heard more and more recently. It certainly one of Brian's favourites both to design and when solving other people's designs.
The category refers to a sub group of Take Apart puzzles. The key difference between a sequential discovery puzzle and other take apart puzzles is that you will remove pieces that will have to be re-used as tools or reinserted to advance like this one. They are very specialised puzzles where you will need to complete a number of challenges in a particular order to do the puzzle. Usually you will have to find tools within, and determine how to use them, to complete the puzzle.
Click here to see the Hordern Puzzle categories and click here for the Slocum puzzle categories.
Edward Hordern IPP Puzzle Exchange - Berlin, Germany August, 2011 Designed, made and presented by Brian Young @ Mr Puzzle.
The object of the puzzle is to free Houdini from The Torture Cell. To do that you'll have to discover the tools and work out how to use them.
The idea for Houdini's Torture Cell came from one of the locks in the incredibly complex The Opening Bat puzzle (part of Limited Edition 2010 series http://www.mrpuzzle.com.au/prod80.htm).
Brian felt the idea was unique and very satisfying to solve so he revisited the idea and changed it to present in a way that would suit IPP; this way it's available for lots more people to experience a great 'Ah Ha' moment.
The puzzle has been presented in such a way that most elements of the puzzle are visible to you. The puzzle is to then work out how to use them to solve it. You can literally sit and think about the solution without even touching the puzzle.
Another feature that Brian builds into these types of sequential discovery puzzles is to give you something to find almost immediately; better to maintain interest in the puzzle. You'll find that with this puzzle too.
Difficulty - Hard close to Extreme The puzzle is to remove the cannonball from this curious brass cannon. This is one of a group of Take Apart puzzles that some refer to as Progressive Move puzzles. There is no simple, single move, straighforward solution.
Edward Hordern IPP Puzzle Exchange - Osaka, Japan July 2010 Presented by Brian Young. Made by Brian Young @ Mr Puzzle Australia. Designed by Brian Young.
The object of the puzzle is to get Mt Fuji to blow it's top and find the Buddha of All-Illuminating Wisdom, the Dainichi Nyorai.
Edward Hordern Puzzle Exchange - Chicago, USA, August 2003 Another completely new design by Brian Young.
The puzzle is to take the SEARious burr apart. Modelled on Chicago's tallest building, the Sears Tower, Brian created this 13 piece interlocking burr. But it's so much more than just an interlocking burr; incorporating the use of tools supplied as part of the puzzle it's biggest challenge is to open the secret lock. It will take 13 moves to unlock the secret internal mechanism. (The elegant solutions does not involve force, or banging, or hitting against another surface).
Considering it has no gravity pins or magnets Brian considers it to be the hardest progressive move discovery puzzle he's designed so far.
Edward Hordern Puzzle Exchange - Gold Coast, Australia, August 2007 Presented by Brian Young. Made by Brian Young @ Mr Puzzle Australia. Designed by Brian Young.
The object is to get the 10c inside the parking meter. Make sure you reassemble the parking meter with the 10c correctly inside. Getting money out of a parking meter is usually illegal so please don't try to do that with this puzzle!
The puzzle does not easily slot into one of the regular Hordern or Slocum categories so we have called it a Sequential-Discovery puzzle. Yes, it is a Take-Apart puzzle. It is also a Put-Together puzzle. There are a number of different challenges you will have to complete to do the puzzle. No external tools are necessary for disassembly or reassembly of the puzzle, although you will have to find tools within, and determine how to use them, to complete the puzzle.
You can reassemble the puzzle in reverse using all the tools the same as when you took it apart. But there is a way of using one of the tools in a slightly different way to create an easier assembly. The puzzle will still be able to be disassembled the original way. See if you can find it...
Puzzle made from Yellow Leichhardt. Stand made from Mackay Cedar. Yellow Leichhardt was used because of it's distinctive bright yellow colour to try to match the golden colour that parking meters on the Gold Coast are painted. Size: 160mm x 30mm x 80mm.
Click this link to view some photos from IPP27 Edward Hordern Puzzle Exchange. Brian generally stives to theme puzzles relating to where IPP is being held and because he was close to home this year he was able to go "all out" by having Sophie, a Gold Coast Meter Maid, as his very capable (and popular) exchange assistant.
Meter Maids were first seen in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast in 1965 to try to help beat the bad image created by the installation of parking meters. Gorgeous girls in gold bikinis fed coins into expired parking meters to prevent tourists from being fined, causing quite a controversy at the time. They are still seen in Surfers today although they are generally hired by local businesses these days.
LIMITED EDITION of 50 puzzles released 1st December 2010 - Price fully inclusive of freight.
Status 29th January 2012 Just 6 of these puzzles left.
Designer: Brian Young Three major locks and much much more. No gravity pins; no "bashing" or "tapping". Tools to discover for all steps in the puzzle.
The name is The Opening Bat and that's exactly what you have to do; open the cricket bat to find all you will need to play test cricket and win that holy grail.
By buying this single Limited Edition puzzle you're getting a number of puzzles in one. It's not just a single puzzle. This puzzle will seem to go on and on. You will be continually finding more tools and more puzzles to solve. This mammoth puzzle combines many ideas into one sequential discovery puzzle that tells a story as you solve each step of the puzzle. And there are a lot of steps including three major locks and more different puzzles, locking mechanisms and tools than Brian has ever incorporated into a single puzzle before.
Yes, there are lots of locks, but no gravity pins. And yes, there are lots of magnets but no "tapping" or "banging"; there's tools supplied to solve each of the locks.
Brian has machined over 20 individual metal components which make up the locks and the tools required to operate them. There's a lot of woodturning too, right down to the wooden urn which is an essential key to one of the locks. Since returning from IPP30 in Japan he seems to have done nothing else!
Price fully inclusive of freight - no freight will be calculated on this puzzle at checkout.
Telephone Boxes are now being made. Currently we have sold all completed puzzles. Brian is now working on finishing the last batch and aims to complete them about end of first quarter 2012. The exact number of puzzles available is uncertain but it will not be more than 20 and of these more than half are already allocated.
If you would like to order one of these puzzles you can do so by paying this A$50.00 deposit. Puzzles will be delivered on a first ordered first delivered basis. We will keep you updated by email when delivery is expected. The balance of payment for the puzzle is due only when your puzzle is made and ready to ship.
Price A$660 (International price ex GST A$600) Domestic postage please request exact rate for your postcode. International postage: New Zealand A$40.35, Asia/Pacific A$50.75, USA/Middle East A$60.75 & Europe/UK/Africa A$76.75
Telephone Boxes are now being made. Currently we have sold all completed puzzles. Brian is now working on finishing the last batch and aims to complete them about end of first quarter 2012. The exact number of puzzles available is uncertain but it will not be more than 20 and of these more than half are already allocated.
If you would like to order one of these puzzles you can do so by paying this A$50.00 deposit. Puzzles will be delivered on a first ordered first delivered basis. We will keep you updated by email when delivery is expected. (Click here).
The first puzzle is to open the telephone box to allow you to have fun with the packing puzzle inside; it's a sequential discovery puzzle in it's own right.
To open the telephone box you will need to solve a series of puzzle locks; three locks in all and each has a number of steps to it. To do this you need to find the required tools, and work out how to use them, to open the door.
The three dimensional packing puzzle inside has 12 pieces that spell the words TELEPHONE box. It's a difficult puzzle with a unique solution.
The box is a replica of a full size 1950's Queensland PMG telephone box. We have one here at home which Brian has restored. For the IPP27 Giant Puzzle day pieces have been made from cardboard to make this same packing puzzle inside the real telephone box.
The dimensions are 115mm x 115mm x 225mm tall. The telephone box is made from Sycamore wood. The letters of the telephone box are made from other exotic Australian timbers: T Blush Alder E Grey Gum L Queensland Blackbean E Grey Gum P Red Oak H Brown Quondong O Saffron Heart N Flooded Gum E Grey Gum b Red Oak o Black Wattle x Blackbutt
We have had overwhelming response to this puzzle and all 30 puzzles have already been sold. In fact, they were all sold within 3 days of being released.
LIMITED EDITION of 30 puzzles released December 2008
A really gorgeous piece of puzzle sculpture that disguises a very high level framed burr puzzle with elements of Sequential Discovery. Brian's own design; Whilemina the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat. Her species are very much endangered and your purchase will also contribute directly to conservation efforts.
Thanks to everyone who bought Whilemina from The Wombat Foundation. Read more.... Update 2010: Good news! The wombats are now very well funded which means their future looks pretty bright. The mining company Xstrata has pledged $3M for their protection. It's a world first that a species is actually sponsored by a corporation. Read more in this story from TIME magazine http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1884854,00.html
Mr Puzzle - We've got puzzles! 
Not one of the regular Hordern or Slocum puzzle classification categories the term Sequential Discovery puzzle has been heard more and more recently. It certainly one of Brian's favourites both to design and when solving other people's designs.
