PuzzleMad: Zese Are Not For Ze Faint-Hearted

Minima-Ze Series by Frederic Boucher
Produced by Pelikan

Damn! I never thought I would say it, but I wish we hadn't had a sunny day yesterday! The UK has basically had rain almost every day for the whole year so far and it has been thoroughly miserable. But, you all know that us Brits love to discuss and complain about the weather. The garden has been growing wild due to all the rain and the rapid approach of spring. So yesterday, when the forecast was good, I was ousted from the house by "she who frightens even the Gods" and given instructions to tidy up the garden. After 6 hours, I was allowed back in the house and knew that pain was coming. I was not expecting it to be mental as well as physical pain. This morning I awoke with pain - everywhere. Absolutely everywhere. My fingers hurt, my thighs hurt, my shoulders hurt. I hate gardening! The garden looks great but I am in too much pain tp appreciate it! Little did I know that I would add brain pain would be rapidly added to the collection of aches.

I received a nice big box of puzzles from Jakub, Jaroslav and team on Monday and after unpacking, I had to put them away for a few days due to work. The presence of ball bearings bouncing around in an operating theatre is not a good idea so I daren't take them to work. I finally got to investigate on Friday and unfortunately wasn't allowed to play yesterday due to fear of reprisals if I didn't get into the garden. As a result today I have started work on the Minima-Ze series by Frederic Boucher.

These are an interesting variant of his Minima puzzles with a totally different aim.These are not packing puzzles...they should be classified as either Maze puzzles or sequential movement puzzles. The aim is to either remove the/one of the ball bearings that is trapped inside the usual 2x2x3 box or, in the case of Minima-Ze Rally, to run the ball bearing through the maze from entry in one side and and exit on the other.

These diminutive puzzles are perfectly pocket sized and can be carried about without worrying about losing a ball bearing. However once you have started you probably need to be careful because loss is a distinct possibility.

Minima-Ze 1

Minima-Ze (1)

Number one in the series has been made using Leopardwood for the box and Acacia for the pieces. A blue marble is visible in the hole in the top. There is another smaller white marble just visible to the right of it. The aim is to manipulate the pieces to allow the removal of the white ball bearing via the exit hole at the front. Should be easy? Hmm! maybe for you it might be but I struggled. There are two square holes to facilitate movement of the wooden blocks (none of which can be removed) and there is a slot in base which serves no there purpose other than too allow the puzzler to examine the shape of the pieces that are being slid around. After a few minutes of fiddling a couple of oddities can be discerned. It is obviously going to be key to work out what those "oddities" are there for.

Being a bear of very little brains who was hurting all over, my thought capacity was at a rather low ebb. I am embarrassed to say that it took me well over an hour to realise what was required and actually carry out the required moves. A ball fell out much to the alarming interest of a cat. I retrieved it as quickly as I could before someone swallowed it.

I'm sure it shouldn't have taken me over an hour!

Returning it to the start was another challenge. I was able to place the balls back inside but the once I thought I had them back inside, I either couldn't slide the wooden blocks back inside or the balls were in the wrong order. Another 10 minutes required to get the dexterity to do what was needed. Lovely clever challenge and a nice warm-up for the others in the series.

Minima-Ze 2

This one is made by Pelikan using Mahogany for the box and Garapa for the blocks. Inside, there is a single ball bearing visible through a hole in the base. The aim here is to manipulate the pieces and navigate that ball bearing through the maze and out through one of the holes in the front. It's not clear at first how this is going to work nor which hole is the exit.

Rocking it back and forth reveals that internal pieces slide around and at one point one of the pieces covering a hole pokes out and has a drilled hole in it. Aha! This would imply that there is a moving path inside the pieces trapped inside and the aim is to work out where the holes are, how they can be manipulated into a pathway and then how to get the ball bearing through it.

Simple? Ha! Many years ago, I spent months working through the variable mazes inside the Revomaze puzzles and it took me months and months to solve them. I hate to say it but this may happen to me again. So far I have worked out how some parts move but it's very difficult to understand what's happening inside as there is minimal visibility. I have spent a good ½ hour with the ball bearing lost inside somewhere with no idea where it went and absolutely no idea how to return back to the beginning. Shaking it about is no use here! Somehow I have got it back to the start with little idea how. This is a frightening little puzzle and will require a lot of thought in a silent room. I think listening as you go is going to be quite important here.

Minima-Ze 3

Number 3 in the series has a Limba box and Wenge pieces. It looks rather complex by the presence of a full circumferential belt of holes which are there to help you control the pieces by squeezing fingertips through to prevent parts from moving when you don't want them to. Again, the aim is to remove the silver ball bearing from the puzzle (it is visible through a very small hole in the back wall of the box).

The clue to the presence of a drilled pathway comes when you manipulate the internal pieces to find that the single piece covering the square hole pokes out with a cavity in it, obviously to deliver the ball bearing to you. There is no other part of the internal maze visible inside and you are expected to build an internal visualisation of the maze by listening to the pieces move and using gravity to control the movement of pieces and ball whilst using your fingers to control which blocks can move.

For 2 hours today I have been playing with this and the ball was lost inside. I had no idea where it was and could not return it back to the beginning. Panic began to set in. Time to put it down and think©. That didn't work for me so I fiddled with it blindly and returned it to the beginning. After the palpitations had settled, I tried again and suddenly the ball was out.

Solved it - not sure how!

Having taken the photo of it, I now have to return it to the beginning and I am not entirely sure how to go about it. I think I will need to draw a picture of the shapes and where I think the holes/paths might be.

These are beautiful puzzles and terrific challenges. they are NOT for the faint-hearted! These will keep you challenged for quite some time, require a lot of thought and a very good 3D visuospatial ability to understand and solve.

Minima-Ze Rally

Pelikan version

Nothing yet designs version

I have not yet had time to play with this one. It was also available from Tye Stahly's Nothing Yet Designs store (almost everything seems to be available from him) and maybe if you badger him, it might be available again. I haven't gotten around to it yet but my backlog is out of control just now. I need a long holiday with no gardening to do or even to retire to catch up.

What else will be available at the next update? I should have reviews ready for next week for you.

The secret of two friends - a design by the Pelikan team - beautifully made from Oak (here) or "sub-fossil" oak