Are you a master of planning ahead?
Combination puzzles are here to push your limits.
Also known as sequential movement puzzles, these contain numerous steps and problems to be solved before you fully complete them.
What this means is you’ll need to continuously assess new objectives and plan your way to achieve them.
They also can be a bit like chess. Sometimes you’ll need to make an unusual move by itself, as part of a bigger, intricate combination.
Combination puzzles are for you if:
You’re organized;
You want to improve your logical thinking;
You love uncovering very long solutions;
You like exploring different possibilities;
You want to practice problem solving.
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Combine the elements
This is a fun one.
Combination puzzles are unique in so many aspects – they intrigue both solvers and genious mathematicians – which means they’re carefully planned and analyzed before production, taking various elements into consideration.
Sequencing – the key aspect of combination puzzles. In most puzzles you have unique moves that you need to find. In combination puzzles, the moves are rarely hidden – they are obvious and simple. The unique part, however, is that these moves only advance you if you execute them in the correct order.
Algorithms – these are sequences that make a certain change in the puzzle, regardless of state. Some combination puzzles are virtually impossible to solve without finding the correct algorithms. To find them, you’ll need to try different combinations and see what is the outcome. Did I say combination puzzles are hard?
Continuous Solution – Continuous Problems – executing one correct algorithm won’t just solve the puzzle for you. You need to solve various problems on your way, each with its own challenges.
Methods – some combination puzzles, like the Rubik’s Cube, are very complex and are usually solved using a working method. If you’re not a mathematical prodigy, you’ll need to learn these methods and memorize their algorithms.
Method Adjustments – When you know the basic method, you can utilize it in a creative way to solve more complex combination puzzles.
Replayability – Combination puzzles are THE most replayable category of puzzles, period.
The puzzle at the top is called Hidden Corridor by Jean Claude Constantin (picture by Bar Aharon). An elegant combination puzzle where you need to slide wooden strips in a specific order to let a ball bearing pass through a short path. Sequencing, algorithms and a long solution are awaiting you on this one.
Combination Sub-Types
Combination puzzles come in different types that can be broken down to much more than the usual 4 categories. There are also quite a few queer puzzles that were tricky to fit in any specific category. Let’s start from the basics.
Classic Twisty Puzzles
Rubik’s Cubes, assemble!
The Rubik’s Cube is the OG of twisty puzzles – In fact, it’s the most popular puzzle in the world.
You can try solving it by yourself if you’re up for a nightmare-level challenge, which I wouldn’t advise.
Instead, most people learn the beginners method of solving it, a much more achievable feat.
Once you learn the method, the 3×3 Rubik’s Cube transforms into the most replayable item in your puzzle collection. You will be solving it again and again and again, practicing your solve time, and taking it with you everywhere. Better than social media, don’t you think?
Then you have a choice – you can learn more advanced methods and algorithms, and practice them to further improve your solve time. This is called speed cubing. If you choose to become one, I highly recommend getting a fast cube, as it will improve your times significantly (by the way, this is the speed cube I use, which I solved in 11.25 seconds at my best).
Another option you’ll have is to try new cubes. That’s when you’re going to get a 2×2 and 4×4 cubes, and if you like the 4×4 you’ll go for bigger variations – 5×5, 7×7 etc.
These variations will have some different tricks to learn – you can either puzzle yourself and discover them by yourself, which is actually achievable, or learn the methods.
Walking the path of new cubes will gradually push you towards the modern twisty puzzles category.
Learning new methods is a good way to practice your memorization and learning skills. There are many great methods you can learn and challenges you can try with the cubes, be it mastering algorithms, teaching a friend or even learning blindfold solving.
Modern Twisty Puzzles
When you pick a modern twisty puzzle, you immediately know that you’re in deep trouble.
Say goodbye to the cute little cube shape – your twisty puzzles are now pyramids, dodecahedrons, unelegant 2x3x4’s or ghost cubes.
This is when twisty puzzles become real puzzling challenges.
Without method adjustments you’re doomed with these multifaced monsters. If you want a go at them, you have to think, a lot.
Luckily, they will sometimes have similarities with other twisty puzzles, so finding the correct sequences is somewhat reliant on your prior knowledge. When you finally understand the modern twisty monster you will experience an encouraging “a-ha!” moment, accompanied by a strong feeling of victory.
A great puzzle blogger, Kevin Sadler, is a huge twisty lover. If you want more info about twisties, you will find lots of it in his posts.
N-ary
If 1,024 steps to solve a puzzle sounds fun to you, you’ve come to the right place.
N-ary puzzles are math-based – you need to move a certain part N moves to move another part.
This results in some interesting puzzles that require deep concentration and constant objective assessment.
It’s very easy to lose concentration in N-ary puzzles, but if you’re concentrated then it’s not too difficult.
Mathematical thinking is very helpful here, while logical reasoning helps to retain some focus if you lose it.
They are fun from beginning to end, as you constantly progress.
Best thing about them?
You don’t need to learn anything special to solve them – a clear mind will suffice.
General
Expecting Rush Hour aren’t we?
Well, this is it’s home.
In this category there are some misc combination sub-types – sliding block puzzles which contain the Fifteen puzzle and Rush Hour, and even some unique puzzles like Hungarian Rings, Rubik’s Clock, Snake Cube and Rubik’s Magic.
Here resides a great variety of puzzles, with diverse objectives and unique designs that require a specific sequence for the solution but don’t belong to the previous sub-types.
Verdict
Combination puzzles are a good pick for people who love to learn.
It’s a type some people love while others utterly hate.
From a budget perspective, it’s considered very friendly as you can buy them at very low prices and replay them for literally thousands of times, which is one of the reasons people choose them as the starting point in their puzzle journey.
Also, solving a good n-ary puzzle is a solid way to try combination puzzles and see if they suit you, without investing time into learning methods and algorithms.
If you decide this is the best puzzle type for you, I highly recommend starting from the 3×3 cube and building your way up from there.
And please don’t try modern twisties BEFORE you learn to solve the classic 3×3, as this will lead to very high frustration levels and be a horrible waste of your time and money!
As always, don’t hesitate to ask me anything, I’ll be happy to help.
Have fun!