Today is a day I will remember.
I am parting with a puzzle very dear to me, reminiscent of my first steps as a puzzler.
The Washington Monument, made and designed by Brian Young.
This is going to be a quick review of it, and a parting note.
There were 325 copies of it produced in 2012, for the IPP32 Puzzle Exchange. It was awarded 3rd place for the Themed Puzzle Award in the puzzle design competition.
Even though 325 copies is not a small number by any means, it has become very rare and sought after among puzzle collectors now, 8 years past.
It was one of the earlier designs Brian made that had sequential discovery elements.
And it was one of the first puzzles I got from him, ever.
The puzzle itself is made of wood – a white obelisk on a red-ish base, surrounded by American flags. Visually, it’s very crisp and precise.
The objective? A very cryptic one –
Find the other Blue.
What is a Blue? Where should I find it?
Washington Monument
| Characteristic | Details |
|---|---|
| Puzzle Type | Take-Apart – Sequential Discovery |
| Designer | Brian Young |
| Manufacturer | Brian Young |
| Budget | Back then, medium |
| Difficulty | Challeging |
| Material | Mainly wood |
| Quality for Price | Superb |
| Puzzling Value for Price | Superb |
| Best for | *Back then, Champions, now – Hunters |
| Warnings | Unexpectedly unique |
When I recieved the monument I was only around 14 years old. Old enough to not be a boy but too young to be a man.
Regardless, trying to solve the Monument proved I was still a kid.
When I played with it, I felt like I’m bullied by the forces of hidden mechanisms, forces hidden from the eye and from the mind.
It was such an enigmatic encounter for me that I just couldn’t get to solve, no matter how hard I tried.
The Monument was a puzzle I gave up on, a puzzle I couldn’t complete, and I resorted to the solution.
Which was mindblowing!
It’s a really interesting design, and overall, a good, difficult puzzle.
And now, 8 years later, I dearly regret checking out the solution.
I decided to pass it on for the future of my puzzle purchases. I do it for a reason, but just can’t without scribing a short memoir-review of it.
Cause sometimes we have to let puzzles go, and that’s ok.
The good news is, the buyer will have the opportunity to receive one, enjoy it, display it in his collection or even pass it on to another puzzler.
At any rate, I do hope they will be able to solve it without using the solution!
The Verdict
A unique puzzle with interesting mechanisms from the depths of Brian Young’s creative mind.
If you’re a Hunter, this is a gem for you. Awesome piece to have.
For Champions and Wanderers, if you really want to have a go at it – you can try to find someone who owns it and pay them a visit (of course be mindful of Covid rules in your country).
Washington Monument may be hard to find nowadays but remember that Mr. Young still produces great puzzles and sells them at his shop.
Guys, always think twice before you lose your patience and look at the solution. This is all part of the puzzling roller coaster.
Rob, enjoy!