Manipulative or Mechanical Puzzles

Originating in the area surrounding the Japanese city of Hakone in the early 18th century, Himitsu-Bako or "Personal Secret Box" is typically a wooden puzzle box which requires a number of manipulations in order to be opened. It is a traditional handicraft and these puzzles are still made by master craftsmen using ingenuity and joinery skills...

Assembly puzzles are manipulative puzzles in which the pieces ...

Rubik's Cube, a 3D puzzle invented in 1974 by Erno Rubik, was awarded best game of the year in 1980. Over 350 million of these cubic conundrums have been sold as of January, 2009, making it the world's top selling puzzle game.

Sliding block puzzles, tangrams and other mechanical puzzles to give your brain a workout. Fun for all ages.

Interlocking puzzles are manipulative puzzles in which one or more pieces hold the rest together, or ...

Dexterity puzzles are manipulative puzzles which require manual skill and patience rather than logical analysis ...

A disassembly puzzle is a manipulative puzzle in which the objective is...

A lock puzzle, or trick lock, is a type of manipulative puzzle which consists of ...

Impossible objects are a type of manipulative puzzle in which the aim is to...

A trick vessel is a manipulative puzzle in which the aim is to figure out how ...

Fold puzzles are puzzles in which the objective is to fold ...

A combination puzzle is a manipulative puzzle which requires a repeated manipulation of the puzzle pieces to achieve ...

A disentanglement puzzle is a manipulative puzzle in which the challenge is ...

Tavern Puzzles are reproductions of a type of puzzle traditionally forged by blacksmiths to amuse their friends at country taverns and inns. Here's where you can buy them online.

Cleverwood has a great selection of Puzzle Boxes and mechanical puzzles. They accept most major credit cards.

This company specializes in the production and sale of wire disentanglement puzzles. The goal is to separate two interlocked parts, most often a ring or a handle, from the main body of the puzzle.

A good source for 'manipulative' or mechanical puzzles including Burrs, interlocking block, wooden assembly, and wire disentanglement puzzles.

No puzzle directory would be complete without a listing for John Rausch's, 'Puzzle World'. Offers a wide assortment of puzzles and also has puzzles you can play online. Most of the puzzles presented are not mass-produced, but limited production puzzles designed and produced by craftsmen working primarily in wood.

Sequential movement puzzles are manipulative puzzles which require ...

To solve Tantrix puzzles you must re-arrange the tiles using your mouse. Your objective is to make a loop of one specific colour using all the tiles of the puzzle. Wherever tiles touch, the colours of connecting links must match and there must be no holes in the solution.

From the IBM research site. These puzzles consists of at least three rods intersecting each other at right angles. The site lets you explore six piece burrs. Select either from a list of a few precalculated burrs, or you can select six pieces of your own making and then have the possible solutions calculated for you.