A spirited journey through the world of collectible artisan puzzles
Pairing craft cocktails with crafty puzzles
Playing With Your Food
The traditional dish of fermented soybeans, known as natto, has been a staple of Japanese diet for millennia.
CAPTCHA Your Imagination
Artificial Intelligence is all around us. Like it or not, AI is going to expand rapidly and exponentially based on how quickly technology in general advances in the current era. We might as well embrace it, like many artists are currently doing.
It’s Complicated
Perry McDaniel understands a lot - about the fine art of precision crafting in wood, about what makes for a great puzzle, and most certainly about the subject at hand, a successful marriage.
Matters of the Heart
They say you never forget your first love, and it’s likely true with puzzle boxes too. I’d argue that with a Mowen’s puzzle box, on the other hand, you might try not to forget, but try as you might, you’ll get lost every time – and probably love every moment all over again.
Rival Arrival
Lex Luther, Dr. Doom, Magneto, Joker – arch enemies are easy to identify in hero centric fiction, and always seem to be the evil characters. I’m particularly fond of Moriarty, if we’re picking favorites.
Open and Shut
From the workshop of French mechanical engineer Benjamin Baley, proprietor at Simple Puzzle and creator of the original Simple Lock 1, comes, to put it simply, the sequel.
A Rice By Any Other Name
According to Wikipedia, Onigiri, which is also known as Omusubi, Nigirimeshi, or simply, rice ball, “is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes and often wrapped in nori”
You’ve Got Mail
There’s something thrilling about receiving mail. Perhaps the excitement of getting a physical letter from someone wears off as we get older, likely tempered by all the bills and junk mail, but even now in my jaded days it’s still nice when that happens. And if getting a special letter is a nice surprise, well I don’t need to tell you what it’s like to receive an eagerly awaited puzzle box.
Nuclear Option
In the 1930’s, Columbia University physicist Isidor Isaac Rabi set out to determine the nuclear spin and associated magnetic moment of atoms in his molecular beam laboratory.
MRI puzzle by Benjamin Heidt
Cafe Society
In 1894, German-American psychologist Hugo Munsterberg described a peculiar observation, that when blocks of light and dark high contrast are staggered in rows, parallel lines drawn between the rows appear to be crooked.
Coastal Living
There was a time, once upon a time in the not too distant past, when becoming a metagrobolotegestolomixologist was merely a speculative thought experiment meant as clever wordplay.
Critic’s Pick
If mechanical puzzles came with a soundtrack, this one would elicit fine chords of acoustic guitar to placate you every time you picked it up, soothing your frustration in failing to solve its secrets. And if you found yourself with a selection of well made, compact, clever, multistep, elegant and entertaining sequential discovery puzzles to choose from this year, you would surely heed the call of this one, to Pick Me.
Making Waves
In ancient Greek lore, the Titan Cronus was overthrown by his children, the gods Zeus, Hades and Poseidon, who divided the skies, the seas and the underworld amongst themselves.
Big Things
A little over three years ago now, Alan Lunsford began introducing the world to these marvelously compact little puzzle cubes that pack a punch.
Numbers Game
Something wonderful arrived from Greece earlier this year, a gift from Mike Toulouzas, a talented and award winning designer and craftsman who makes some of the most beautiful puzzles in his spare time. Generous of spirit and in celebration of life, friendship and a common passion for being puzzled, Mike sent these gorgeous gifts out around the world as a holiday and end of year present to some very lucky people.
The Lost City
In 1905, French author Maurice Leblanc introduced the world to a charismatic aristocrat who often operated as a force for good from the opposite side of the law, a “gentleman thief” if you will, named Arsène Lupin.
Year of the Dragon
It’s time to celebrate bravery, creativity and innovation here at Boxes and Booze – because it’s the Year of the Dragon!
Stream of Consciousness
The Hollywood writer’s strike is over! We can now proceed with our regularly scheduled programming and bring you the next episode of idiot Boxes and Boob tubes ….