BePuzzled |Dice Hanayama Metal Brainteaser Puzzle Mensa Rated Level 3, for Ages 12 and Up

This is by far one of the coolest puzzles I have ever seen.Even after you solve it, it makes an awesome desk toy; it's immensely satisfying to simply play with and move the gear around. While it isn't super difficult to solve this by accident after moving the gear around randomly for a long time, coming up with an actual solution (by which I mean, a full movement algorithm, with which you could reliably move any tooth of the gear into any of the six faces of the cube in any desired orientation) will take quite a bit of thought. For someone new to the puzzle scene, this is probably the best place to start.Like all Hanayama's puzzles, it's built rock-solid and will never bend or break unless you're really trying to, so it'll basically last forever. And it only has two pieces (which are pretty big), so it'll also be pretty tough to loose one of the parts.If you're seeking a serious challenge, this is decidedly NOT going to be it. This is just a casual puzzle that's pretty to look at and fun to play with. I honestly couldn't recommend this enough for someone who's either new to puzzles, or just wants an awesome desk toy. For people who have experience solving these types of puzzles, this one is admittedly going to be pretty easy to solve.HOWEVER... finding the "optimal" solution to this puzzle (i.e., the solution which removes the gear in the fewest possible moves, starting from the position with the two slotted teeth of the gear resting in the face with those two grooves) is indeed extremely challenging, even for advanced puzzlers. So, if you've finished solving this puzzle and are looking for an extra challenge to keep you occupied, see if you can reason out the most efficient solution!Although I have never seen Hanayama's official solution to this puzzle, I can tell you with confidence that the 'minimum' number of steps needed to solve this puzzle is 10. (Or alternately, 17 steps, if you choose to count 'twisting the gear' as a step.) If your solution involves more than 10 movements of the gear, it is not the optimal one.**Note: I found this solution computationally, so I'm fairly convinced that it's the correct one. (Writing a computational model of this puzzle was an awfully fun challenge in and of itself... I invite you to try it!) However, if you've found a solution that involves fewer than 10 steps, please let me know! Or, if you're interested in seeing my solution, just ask and I'll send it to you.**

If you can solve a 4, 5, or 6 Hanayama in a reasonable amount of time, this one won't take long to solve. It's not a huge brain bender and it's kind of big all things considered. Most Hanayama puzzles are much more portable...WITH THAT BEING SAID: This one is just the best. I love it and everyone I've let play with it loves it. It's hard to find a good medium difficulty Hanayama. It's fun for beginners, and it's still fun for experts. It operates like a fidget toy that doesn't easily come apart unless you use it in just the right way. It's not so complicated that it's infuriating and it feels like a Rubik's cube in that it's fun even if you don't know how to solve it.

This puzzle requires you to maneuver the gear around the cube, rotating it from a hole in one side to the hole in an adjacent side and twisting it in a hole until a certain cog of the gear is in a certain hole and the gear can be removed.The reader is warned that the solution is not included with the puzzle. I did not see that the "key word" provided was any help. One way to find a solution is to identify all the states in which the puzzle can be. Then create a graph where each node represents a state and draw a line with an arrow from one node to another exactly when it is possible to get from that state to the other state. This will allow a systematic search of all the paths through the states, eventually leading to a solution. The solution can also be found via a web search, as can other information about puzzles, their classification, and ways to solve them.This puzzle is made of sturdy metal with an attractive finish and looks great. The cube is about 1 3/8 inches on a side and the whole has a height of about 3.25 inches. I found it pleasant to handle the puzzle and maneuver the gear around the cube. I think it is worth the price whether you have a solution or not.

This thing works exactly the way it looks it should, with the piece rotating along, and you being able to spin it periodically to change direction. It feels pretty solid, and I had no problems with it in the 20 minutes it took me to solve. That being said, it was a bit easier than I had expected, but was definately one of the funner of the easier ones.I have two odd complaints though:1. Sometimes it won't move in a certain direction, and you never really know until it happens. The holes all look the same size, and the 'keys' all look the same, so why this issue? No idea.2. Rocks? Seriously, little rocks fell out of the puzzle as I was moving. Two fell out on their own, and when I looked inside, after completing it, I could see a couple more stuck inside. They're all triangular little white stones with copperish residue on them. Not a major issue, but I hope they weren't important or I'm going to need to change the durability score I gave this thing.If anyone has any idea what's up with those rocks let me know, it's driving me crazy :P

I've bought several haneyama puzzles, they're all great quality and quite aesthetically pleasing. This puzzle feels solid, I loaned this to lots of people without being afraid of it breaking.The solution is fairly straightforward without being too easy. Reminds me a little of how a rubix cube operates, but simpler and without the pain behind it.Puzzle works all right as a desk object, but you can't stand it straight up with the gear on top (or at least I never balanced it like that), you have to lay it on its side. However I did use it as a badge of office, and passed it on to my replacement when I left. It looks slick, and the aged bronze look adds to its charm.One of my more preferred haneyamas, would definitely recommend.