Looking for very challenging and engaging puzzle? You may want to consider one of these top 10 most difficult puzzles for adults listed below. These puzzles are designed to test your critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and require a lot of observation and strategic thinking. The difficulty of puzzles can vary greatly depending on the individual and their puzzle-solving experience. However, here are the 10 most difficult puzzles for adults by Kubiya Games:
Steuerrad Puzzle Box - The Steuerrad Puzzle is a high-level difficulty puzzle that will have even experienced puzzlers stumped right from the start, thinking: “how could I possibly start solving this puzzle?!” You might feel the solution is impossible to reach, but don’t fear - the secret to success lies in turning the center wheel, and then finding the correct sequence of moves to open the box. Here at Kubiya, we are often asked, "what is the hardest puzzle in the world?" Well, there is no straight answer to that question due to the vast diversity of puzzles. But, the Steuerrad Puzzle Box just may be the hardest sequential puzzle box in the world. Don’t believe us? Try it out yourself!
Quartet Puzzle - Not for the faint of heart, The Quartet Puzzle is a deviously tricky disentanglement puzzle, named after the number of pieces involved. There are 4 pieces total that form the quartet, and they must be twisted, turned, finagled, and jostled in the perfect way to untangle the dark, metal pieces. The bond that these pieces form is truly difficult to unravel. For added fun, there are actually two approaches to this puzzle and we challenge you to try out both of them! This puzzle is the perfect gift for people who love construction and engineering and an added bonus for those who love to fidget.
Lock 64 - From the creative and eccentric mind of Seibenstein-Spiele’s founder, Jurgen Reiche, this spectacular Lock 64 Coding Puzzle is built from laser-engraved pieces of heavy-duty wood to hold the secrets of the mechanism in place. Similar to a padlock, but much more beautiful, the objective is to remove the top handle of the lock so that it releases from the main body of the puzzle. The central dial spins just like it would on a padlock - can you figure out the combination? The Lock 64 is a very hard sequential puzzle that you need to unlock without a key. Once you figure out the right combination, you will be able to open the lock.
Grandfather Burr - When this puzzle was designed, there’s no doubt why they called it the Grandfather of all Burrs. No exaggerations were made, and you’re in for quite a challenge. This Puzzle is one of the hardest interlocking puzzles in our collection! It was designed by W. L. Van der Poel, a Dutch computer scientist who designed and created puzzles as his hobby. The Grandfather Burr Puzzle has 18 pieces, all with unique notches. The puzzle's design contains gaps of empty space within the puzzle’s body, making it much less intuitive to imagine how the pieces interlock together. To first unlock the Grandfather Burr Puzzle, you have to find the right sequence of moves to release the first piece; then, the rest will follow. To put all the 18 pieces back together will be a much more complex task, requiring loads of patience and determination. This high-level puzzle is perfect for serious puzzlers with a lot of extra time on their hands.
Safecracker Puzzle - Our most popular math puzzle! Can you find the combination? The goal is to arrange the 16 rows so that the total sum of each row is the same. Some of the numbers shown are covered by the turntables, so not all of them are needed, which makes this puzzle very hard to solve. Can you find the solution? Very challenging Mathematical puzzle!
Sky Tower Puzzle - Put your architectural skill to the ultimate test by building a 10 story tower reaching up to the sky! The aptly named Sky Tower Puzzle is designed by W. L. Van der Poel, a Dutch computer scientist who designs and creates puzzles on the side. This awe-inspiring, handmade Sky Tower is a real doozy of a packing problem; it’s tougher than it looks, making it one of the hardest assembly puzzles we have in our collection! So, you better plan your moves carefully and be sure to use all 10 geometric shapes (made up of 50 wooden cubes) to complete the Sky Tower. The shapes are made of alternating colors which adds to the dazzling effect and allows this devious contraption to be displayed as an art piece. A Tip for Success: planning ahead is key for this challenge!
Trinity Puzzle - Very difficult metal puzzle by Hanayama. The Trinity puzzle is made out of three pieces that lock into each other. None of the pieces is uniform, which makes it difficult to discover the system of how they will come apart. This puzzle will challenge the most brilliant minds to get all three untangled and back together again. The Trinity puzzle was designed by Kyoo Wong a puzzle designer from Hong Kong.
Mission Impossible Puzzle - Packing puzzles can challenge even the most experienced puzzlers! Our Mission Impossible Puzzle certainly lives up to its name as one of the hardest packing puzzles we have in our collection. This puzzle ups the game and lifts your brain to new levels with 25 identical, Y-shaped pieces that must be packed into a 5x5x5 cube - using every single piece! Unlike many puzzles, there is more than one solution to this mind-boggling puzzle, but most people struggle to just find one. Plan each placement carefully or you may find yourself crying “Y”?! Pun intended. Sharpen your critical thinking skills as you practice packing before your next big trip!
Drone Puzzle - This ornate drone mechanical Maze Puzzle is designed based on the components of a clock. Each round gear powers the other gears in a smooth, fluid motion, making it hard to pinpoint and isolate each movement. The objective is to free the small metal ball trapped inside the maze but be prepared for some sneaky misdirection and tomfoolery afoot with the solution. Designed by master puzzler, Jean Claude Constantin and Co-branded with Kubiya Games, The Drone puzzle is sure to become a classic.
PLD Puzzle Box - You will be forced both literally and figuratively to think outside the box with this puzzle designed by the great Jean Claude Constantin. The PLD Puzzle Box contains two sliding wooden mazes that each have 4 metal pins trapped inside. The puzzler must simultaneously slide each maze apparatus back and forth until the pegs have navigated the maze and the sliding mechanism comes free. This releases the lid of the box, and reveals the secret chamber inside!
About our difficulty level system we use - 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.
Cheers, and happy puzzling!