The human brain is a jumble of chaos and subjectivity, and what’s difficult for some might seem like a breeze for others. Here at Kubiya, the difficulty of a given puzzle is usually relative to the person solving it. We rate our puzzles on a scale of 1 (easiest) to 5 (hardest) based on our own experience solving them and our observations of how others solve them. The rating implies how long it takes most people to solve the puzzle the first time and how hard it is to memorize and recall the solution in the future. With that disclaimer in mind, take a look at some of our most challengingly ranked puzzles! The contraptions below are all ranked at Level 5 on our difficulty scale, for various reasons, and they are perfect for puzzlers in need of an extra challenge!
The object of this puzzle is simple: open the box. But, first you’ll need to work out how to make the wheel in the middle move freely! Created by the famous German designer, Jean-Claude Constantin, this is the puzzle box version of the original Steuerrad. Constantin lives in Germany, where he designs and manufactures various wooden and/or metal puzzles, as well as magic tricks (why not?). The Steuerrad Puzzle Box is special because ___
We Recommend This Puzzle For: Anyone who is a fan of Constantin’s work, or who is looking to become a new fan of some niche work by a talented puzzle designer! There are many more fantastic puzzles to explore (below) once you begin the journey into a new designer’s collection. Be warned - you may find yourself buying even more!
More Puzzles Like This:
Viking Puzzle Box – Puzzle for Adults
It’s very possible, we swear, but with a name like Mission Impossible you know that sweet victory at the end will not come easily. This packing puzzle takes it to another level with 25 identical Y-shaped pieces that you need to pack into a 5x5x5 cube using all the pieces. It’s probably one of the most difficult packing problems out there, and there's actually more than one solution. Test your IQ, frustrate your friends, and exercise your brain with that difficulty rating of 5.
We recommend this puzzle for: the most serious of puzzlers out there, with some time on their hands to try it out. Or, for its challenging nature, intriguing design, and distinctiveness from other packing-problem puzzles.
More Puzzles Like This:
Japanese Egg – Interlocking Puzzle
Seventeen Puzzle – Hard Packing Puzzle
The goal of Kubiya’s Lock 64 puzzle is to remove the lock handle at the top of the structure from the lower half. Like many great puzzles, the concept is simple but the execution is tricky. Lock 64 is unique, fun, and full of red herrings, making it a perfect addition to our featured post on tough puzzles. There are some mechanical puzzles that are difficult because of the length of time, rigor, and discipline needed to solve, but this puzzle falls into a slightly different category. Once you know the solution, it doesn’t take long to repeatedly solve. However, figuring out the unique solution and looking past the distractions will take a dedicated, strong mind that’s up to the task. The old-fashioned, wooden design is laser-cut and engraved, with a sleek, heavy duty feeling in your hands.
We recommend this puzzle for: People who think outside the box, and love to reap the reward of finding a unique solution that would never be guessed at first glance. Or, puzzlers who love to use more than just their sense of sight to solve a puzzle! (hint, hint…)
More Puzzles Like This:
Japanese Interlocking Ladder Puzzle
This puzzle box is not only gorgeously designed and manufactured, but it has the added benefit of being an extremely difficult puzzle to solve as well! Several sliding panels must be moved back and forth in just the right order in order for the box to finally open. There are 54 steps needed in total to open the box, plus one extra-special-step! The techniques used to make these puzzle boxes have been used for generations in Japan and have been surpassed by none - there’s no need to reinvent the wheel when the wheel is this magnificent! There is, unbelievably, no paint used on the boxes to attain their classic designs. Instead, patterns and shapes are created by laying and gluing different colored strips of wood together. If you had a secret puzzle box, what would you keep in it?
We recommend this puzzle for: Anyone looking for a challenging puzzle that also has practical uses, all wrapped up and combined with a delightfully charming, historical aesthetic.
More Puzzles Like This:
Japanese Panda Puzzle Box – 12+1 Steps
Mini Japanese Puzzle Box – 7 Steps
This Grandfather Burr Puzzle just may be one of the hardest interlocking puzzles in our entire collection. Designed by W. L. Van der Poel (a Dutch computer scientist who would design and create puzzles as his hobby), this Burr Puzzle has 18 pieces, all with notches that interlock. The goal is to take the structure apart, and then be able to piece it back together again. This Burr's design makes it extremely difficult because there are gaps in the interior of the puzzle body. Most Burr Puzzles interlock in such a way that the inside is solid, with no holes, but leaving extra space means that the final solution is even harder to imagine. Spatial reasoning and thinking in 3 dimensions is always important, but these skills have never been more crucial than for a puzzle of this magnitude.
We recommend this puzzle for: Anyone who loves Burr-style puzzles, but needs an extra challenge! Or, puzzlers who are intrigued by spatial reasoning and love to build/take apart objects to see how they work.
More Puzzles Like This:
Tricky Drawer – 4 Piece Burr Puzzle in a Box
Japanese Crystal Puzzle – 51 Piece Interlocking Puzzle
Expand Your Mind - Don’t Sacrifice the Fun!
These head-scratchers are the sort of puzzles where, no matter how clever you may be, even an expert puzzler might still need to wait for that “aha!” moment that we frequently mention in this blog. The toughest of puzzles often require strong mechanical and spatial reasoning skills, but mixed with an extra dash of creativity, wit, and fun that requires the user to stretch their brain, think outside of the box, and view the puzzle from a new perspective. Just like problems in life!
Now, these puzzles might be the hardest, the baddest of the bad, but before we part ways again, consider this: you should never let a difficulty rating stop you from trying out a puzzle, whether it seems “too hard” (or even too easy). As you can tell from the diversity of puzzles out there, terms like “easy” and “hard” can be arbitrary. Even the most helpful guidelines and ranking systems are meant to be broken or ignored sometimes! As with many things in life, use whatever information you find useful about our rankings, and the rest doesn’t matter! This holiday season, we hope you consider trying a more difficult puzzle outside of your comfort zone. Are you up for the challenge?
Cheers, as always, and happy puzzling!