Brian Young (alias Mr Puzzle) is the owner of this website. His aim is to bring the widest range of puzzles, including many puzzles not commonly available in shops to puzzle collectors and enthusiasts around the world.
Brian has been making a full-time living from puzzles since 1993 and that includes designing and manufacturing puzzles himself, as well as retailing them. Brian has also been collecting puzzles since he was a boy. His personal collection is now approaching 2000 pieces which he points out is by no means a large collection compared to others in the world. Some collectors have between 30,000 and 40,000 pieces in their collections.
The puzzles he makes himself are hand-crafted and come in three ranges - Standard, Craftsman and his annual Limited Editions which are released just prior to Christmas each year and which are sought after by puzzle collectors. Brian began making only six of each puzzle in 1993 but, due to demand, he now produces up to 50 of each design - only the pre set number will EVER be made and Brian always keeps one for himself.
He began making the Limited Edition range as a way of adding puzzles not generally or commercially available to his own puzzle collection. Puzzles are chosen for either historical significance or aesthetic value, not necessarily degree of difficulty. An additional puzzle element is often added to make the puzzle unique - most times, it also increases the level of difficulty.
While a lot of modern puzzles are created and designed on computer, Brian still invents his own creations in his head. While a lot of modern puzzles are created and designed on computer, Brian still invents his own creations in his head. For a while, before computer programs came into their own, Brian's puzzle, Coming of Age Mk II, held the world record for the maximum amount of moves to remove the first piece of a commercially-produced puzzle. It has a difficulty rating of 10 and it takes 19 directional moves just to remove the first piece!!!
Edward Hordern IPP Puzzle Exchange - Washington DC, August 2012 Presented by Matthew Dawson. Designed and made by Brian Young @ Mr Puzzle.
The challenge is to work your way through the puzzle to find the barrel of oil.
You've inherited this oil well from Uncle Bubba who plugged it in a very tricky way back in the 1960's when oil was selling for under $3 a barrel. With oil now over $100 a barrel the challenge is to unplug the well. You'll know you've got the oil flowing again when you find the barrel of oil. Can you pitch your wits against Uncle Bubba and work out how he plugged the well?
You will have to discover a range of tools and work out how to use them, some are very well disguised, to reach the final goal. No physical force at all is required to open the drawer when it’s unlocked. If you find yourself forcing something you are doing something the puzzle was not designed to do.
Edward Hordern IPP Puzzle Exchange - Washington DC, August 2012 Presented, made and designed by Brian Young @ Mr Puzzle Australia Awarded 3rd Prize for Themed Puzzle Award
There’s Red, While & Blue on the flags. There’s the White monument on a Red base. Can you find the other Blue? If you keep searching you’ll find it inside the puzzle. And we’re not referring to the use of “blue” language or going “blue” in the face (excuse our Aussie slang) with frustration.
The object of the puzzle is to unlock and open it, find the blue, close and relock it. You’ll have solved the puzzle when you can complete these two stages.
First stage Lock all gravity pins inside the round base of the obelisk so they do not move. This will allow you to remove the obelisk from the base. If you open the puzzle by chance then the gravity pins will still move freely; this is not the intended solution. The first stage is not completed until the gravity pins are locked inside the round base.
Second stage Unlock the gravity pins so they flow freely again. This allows you to lock the obelisk back in the square base. You could find that relocking the puzzle might be more challenging than unlocking it was.
All the tools you’ll require to do the puzzle are given with the puzzle. The puzzle we’ve presented is a representation of the Washington Monument, right down to the lightening rod in the top, which can come out, so be careful not to lose it. You’ll more than likely need it to complete the puzzle.
Edward Hordern IPP Puzzle Exchange - Prague, Czech Republic, August 2008 Presented by Brian Young. Made by Brian Young @ Mr Puzzle Australia. Designed by Brian Young.
Sputnik Returns from the stars, 50 years on..... Your challenge is to disassemble and reassemble the 9 charred remaining pieces of the new Sputnik puzzle. When properly assembled one of the three surviving antennas is fixed and the other two move freely in and out 30mm.
Edward Hordern Puzzle Exchange - Gold Coast, Australia, August 2007 Presented by Patrick Major. Made by Brian Young @ Mr Puzzle Australia. Designed by Brian Young.
The simplest maze in the world, or is it? Simply get the ball bearing from START to FINISH.
Edward Hordern Puzzle Exchange - Boston, USA, August 2006 Presented by Brian Young. Made by Brian Young @ Mr Puzzle Australia. Designed by Brian Young.
The object of the puzzle is find the T inside the Boston Tea Chest.
You will have to disassemble the burr to find it. Brian got the idea behind this puzzle from an old Phillipe Dubois puzzle. The T shaped pieces were originally two sets of mirror reversed triplets. He changed these pieces to ensure they were all different, giving it a unique solution, now separating on one axis only. Brian also added a locking mechanism that will ensure the puzzle is more difficult to disassemble.
Edward Hordern Puzzle Exchange - Tokyo, JAPAN, August 2001 Designed, made and presented by Brian Young @ Mr Puzzle.
Brian created a working model of the IPP logo created by Gianni Sarcone in 1999. It has 14 interlocking pieces and takes 13 directional moves to remove the first piece.
The puzzle is a completely new design invented by Brian Young for IPP.
The puzzle is presented in Queensland Silver Ash timber. A permanent ink is used to colour the IPP logo.
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.
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.
Status: 20th February 2013. We have 5 of these puzzles still available.
For the top part of the puzzle Brian was looking for a complex but rare burr that could attach to the main shaft of the puzzle without coming apart accidentally. He decided to use Stewart Coffin's design called Triple Slide. Although Stewart does not seem to have allocated this puzzle it's own number in his system he did describe it as "having a most unusual action to assemble". Bill's Cutler's analysis in the late 1980's found it to be a unique level 3 solution.
Brian created a new design to wrap around a central post by using 4 six piece burrs that must work simultaneously. The 16 piece burr is a level 5-5-22 burr; very solvable, especially when you have 200+ international puzzlers in your backyard! In fact the giant puzzle was taken apart and reassembled by a group of enthusiastic puzzlers on the IPP27 Giant Puzzle day. A copy of BurrSolver solution file for both upper and lower burrs can be supplied upon request.
Two of the most popular puzzles ever made and sold in the world have been used to make this unique puzzle. The puzzle is to assemble both the Soma Cube and the six piece diagonal burr at the same time.
The first puzzle is to open the telephone box to allow you to have fun with the packing puzzle inside; its 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. Its 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.
It's not just an ordinary puzzle box. Apart from the sequential discovery puzzling aspect and the use of ten different exotic Australian woods, this piece is a sculpture to be displayed as a piece of art in it's own right.
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
A sneak peak into the open box; we don't want to give too much away.
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.
19 directional moves to remove the first piece from an 18 piece burr!
This puzzle was designed by Brian (alias Mr Puzzle) without the use of a computer. It was however analysed using a computer program by Andreas Roever (see the end of this detail page) and he found an even more difficult assembly of the puzzle, being a level 14.10.3.2.5.11.10. That makes 65 moves for complete disassembly.
Click here to see the Coming of Age MkII as it's coming apart (puzzle shown in photo is Craftsman Range puzzle not Standard Range puzzle). Click here to see a video clip of Brian putting the Coming of Age MkII together. Puzzle shown is Craftsman Range. Check out these different solutions to the Coming of Age MkII on YouTube; thanks to Barry. Level 14.10.7.3.5.12.10 assembly. Level 16.3.1.1.3.4.1.1.2 assembly.
19 directional moves to remove the first piece from an 18 piece burr!
In 1953 Willem L van der Poel, a leading Dutch computer scientist, set out to design a puzzle with as many interlocking pieces as possible and came up with an 18 piece burr that took 4 moves to get the second last piece in and 3 more for the last piece. In 1997 Mr Puzzle changed the burr to create a puzzle with 5 moves to get the last piece in. In 1999 he came up with this version which takes 19 moves to get the first piece out! And it doesn't finish there.... After you get the first piece out there is still 5 more moves to get the second piece out, you will then be able to easily remove the next two pieces, but watch out for the 5th. HINT... Beware when trying to remove the 5th piece - it will take you a further 9 moves - and remember no force or rotational moves are necessary to solve this puzzle. Yes, it's so difficult you now get the puzzle assembled.
This puzzle was designed by Brian (alias Mr Puzzle) without the use of a computer.
It was however analysed using a computer program by Andreas Roever (see the end of this detail page) and he found and even more difficult assembly of the puzzle, being a level 14.10.3.2.5.11.10. That makes 65 moves for complete disassembly.
REMEMBER - As well as a presentation card we provide a separate sheet showing a clearly and professionally printed solution with both graphics and text is packaged with every puzzle. Will this puzzle prove to be your "coming of age" as a puzzler?
Packaged ASSEMBLED - Yes, we feel this puzzle is so difficult that even getting it apart will prove very difficult!
Size 120mm x 120mm x 120mm (each piece 120mm x 30mm x 30mm)
Click here to see the Coming of Age MkII as it's coming apart (puzzle shown in photo is Craftsman Range puzzle not Standard Range puzzle). Click here to see a video clip of Brian putting the Coming of Age MkII together. Puzzle shown is Craftsman Range. Check out these different solutions to the Coming of Age MkII on YouTube; thanks to Barry. Level 14.10.7.3.5.12.10 assembly. Level 16.3.1.1.3.4.1.1.2 assembly.
Analysis completed by Andreas Roever using his BurrTools program. The lastest version 0.5.0 can be downloaded from: http://burrtools.sourceforge.net/ Statistics: - highest first level is 19. There are 2 such solutions which are very similar to one another. Both solutions take 46 moves to completely disassemble. - other high level solutions exist with primary level 16, level 14.10, ... - the most interesting solutions in my eyes are 2 solutions with level 14.10.3.2.5.11.10. That makes 65 moves for complete disassembly, which is more than required for Burrloon. Burrloon requires only 64 moves with its level 33.8.something solution. - the analysis took 1214463 seconds, which is 14.06 days of continuous calculation time - the analysis found 880338023 assemblies - that is an average of 725 assemblies per second that needed to be analyzed - 7621 of those are actually assembable, that is less than 1/115000th of all assemblies (so if you found an assembly it is probably not assembable)
A unique framed burr design invented by and exclusive to MR PUZZLE.
The puzzle is to take The Collective apart. Unlike normal framed burrs the five piece burr encased in the twenty-four piece frame work as one in this puzzle. After you get the puzzle apart will you be able to assimilate the pieces again into one unit?
The 5 piece burr at the centre of the puzzle is crafted from Queensland Silver Ash. The frame consists of 24 individual interlocked pieces and is available from Queensland Blackbean (option 2. Western Australian Jarrah is sold out)
Edward Hordern Puzzle Exchange - Tokyo, JAPAN, August 2004 Presented by Brian Young. Another completely new design by Brian Young. Entrant IPP Design Competition 2004
The puzzle is to separate the two nails. The concept for this original design was found by accident during the manufacture of our TWISTED puzzle. The only similarity with the old nails puzzles is it's simplicity and the fact that once you pick it up you can't put it down until you've solved it.
There were 340 of these puzzles made. 98 were given at the Puzzle Exchange. Unfortunately all of these puzzles have been sold and will not be made again.
Edward Hordern Puzzle Exchange - Antwerpen, Belgium, August 2002 Presented by Brian Young. Made by Brian Young @ Mr Puzzle Australia. Designed by Brian Young.
lateral thinking n. Method of solving problems other than by conventional logic.
Use all seven pieces to make the letter L Use all seven pieces to make the letter T The real challenge is to use all seven pieces to make the letters L and T at the same time. Note: the dimensions of the vertical and horizontal strokes in the letters L and T are in all cases exactly equal and symetrical. An added challenge may then be to get the puzzle back into the tray.
AUSTRALIAN DESIGN REGISTRATION APPLICATION No.1542/2002
Puzzle made from Queensland Silky Oak (also known as Lacewood outside Australia click here to read more)
LIMITED EDITION of 50 puzzles released 1st December 2010 - Price fully inclusive of freight.
Status 19th March 2012. Sold Out.
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.
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
From 1874 Mr Yamanaka applied the ancient Japanese skill of joining wood without nails to make building structures to making interlocking puzzles in the shape of pagodas and towers.
The art continues in the Hakone district even today. WENDY is a 3 to 1scale model of a Kangaroo with Joey made in the area just after WWII but in true MR PUZZLE style there is a secret to getting the first piece out. After you’ve released the lock the first piece will slide out effortlessly.
Clue: What do kangaroo’s normally do? (The answer is NOT eat - so the first piece is NOT the head)
WENDY is crafted from the North Queensland Rose Alder. Size: From the top of her ears to the ground she's 290mm tall.
To combat earthquakes a building construction using interlocking wooden pieces has been used in Japan for centuries. During the Edo period (1603-1868) Masters made models of the corner joints to teach apprentices the construction method. It is likely although unproven that this lead to the origins of the Japanese interlocking puzzles called kumiki.
Whilst WALLY is modelled after the kumiki technique the pieces are Mr Puzzle’s own design. WALLY is much larger than the usual size these puzzles are made in Japan to accommodate a complex lock not seen in traditional kumiki designs. You will need to negotiate this lock before you can take the puzzle apart and understand it to be able to put the puzzle back together.
Clue: What do crocodiles do apart from just eating tourists?
WALLY is crafted from Australian Blackbean. Size: Nose to tail 510mm Toe to toe 120mm
NOTE: Original selling price in USD was 118.80. In June 2008 one of these puzzles sold at Baxterweb Puzzle Auctions, Featuring the Ron Zezima Collection for USD 1061.00
Over 100 years after he was hanged the mystery of Australia's most infamous bushranger Ned Kelly still remains an unsolved puzzle. The puzzle is to find Ned Kelly's skull; it's true whereabouts remains a mystery to this day. To celebrate our 10th Anniversary Limited Edition range Brian has created a completely unique design which recalls the history of Ned Kelly.
To do the puzzle you will have to follow the history of the Kelly gang's last stand in thier crudely fashioned armour at against the troopers at Stringy Bark Creek. To assist we will tell the story of Ned Kelly's Last Stand on the Limited Edition certificate you will receive with the puzzle.
You will need to solve ten different puzzles to discover the tools incorporated in the puzzle. You will require these tools along the way to complete the puzzle.
The puzzle will also be quite a challenge to reassemble because every piece in the puzzle is different and interlocking.
Ned is presented in Queensland Blackbean. Queensland Blackbean grows throughout eastern Australia and is also known as Moreton Bay Bean or Moreton Bay Chestnut.
Size: 290mm tall x 130mm x 80mm.
NOTE: Original selling price in USD was 246.00. In April 2008 one of these puzzles sold at Baxterweb Puzzle Auctions, Featuring the John Ergatoudis Collection Phase 12 for USD 710.00.
NOTE: Original selling price in USD was 271.00. In June 2008 one of these puzzles sold at Baxterweb Puzzle Auctions, Featuring the Ron Zezima Collection for USD 315.00.
People often ask where do you get the idea for a puzzle from? The concept for this puzzle goes back many years. The first time I met Bill Cutler he said to me that "I figure that anything that can be done to the 6 piece burr has just about been done". I stored that away in the back of my brain; then years later at IPP23 in Chicago I saw some pieces from Bill's collection. His version of the Snowflake from W.M.Wyatt's 'Wonders in Wood' made me think, 'well, maybe everything has not been done to the 6 piece burr yet'.
It seemed like a bit of a challenge; maybe the 6 piece burr is not dead yet.
I chose three known high level burrs and married two of each together on opposite sides of this puzzle. Some of the pieces in these burrs have been mirror reversed to add to the already high degree of difficulty of this puzzle. I created a completely new six piece burr which I designed specifically to join each set of twins together. The burr has to slide in three directions to allow the multiple moves necessary for each of the end burrs to work. To disassemble, all the burrs must be used simultaneously.
I did not use a computer to design the puzzle but after having a working prototype I did use a computer to test for the number of possible solutions. I ended up testing each set of twins independently because the program I used to test the whole puzzle said at first that it would take some thousands of days to solve. So, I thought maybe it was confused and it would settle if I let it run for a while..... next morning the time went up and now it's saying 252588 days.... maybe I need a new computer!
I spent about 5 or 6 days just working on the design to get to prototype stage but I'm sure if someone out there wanted to spend more time (and with the help of a computer....) there's a lot more that could even be done with this concept.
Woods used: The six centre pieces are made from Victorian Ash. A member of the Eucalyptus family (not the Ash family) this timber is also known as Mountain Ash and is Australia's tallest tree, generally growing to between 55-75m but often up to 100m (over 300 feet) at altitudes over 900m in Victoria.
The 24 smaller pieces are made from Queensland Blackbean (also commonly know as Moreton Bay Chestnut) which can be seen growing in rainforests throughout Queensland and northern NSW. Click here if you're interested to read more about this tree and see some photos.
Size: 180mm x 180mm x 180mm (each piece being 20mm x 20mm)
Solutions are not generally provided with Limited Edition puzzles because of the small numbers produced but we'll do everything we can to assist if you get stuck.
Mr Puzzle - We've got puzzles! 
Brian Young (alias Mr Puzzle) is the owner of this website. His aim is to bring the widest range of puzzles, including many puzzles not commonly available in shops to puzzle collectors and enthusiasts around the world.
corner joints to teach apprentices the construction method. It is likely although unproven that this lead to the origins of the Japanese interlocking puzzles called kumiki.
