Top 10 Books About Mechanical Puzzles Worth Reading

For millennia, people have been figuring out mechanical puzzles. From complicated devices to slide and combination boxes with concealed compartments, these puzzles provide captivating challenges that beg you to solve their riddles and discover their secrets.

In addition to the thrill and fascination of the fascinating realm of mechanical puzzles, working with their actual components is a great way to improve your cognitive abilities. After all, they need logical thinking, which helps you strengthen your mental skills and sharpen your problem-solving techniques.

Is the skill of solving mechanical puzzles appealing to your inquisitive mind? The books listed below are essential reading for anyone interested in mechanical puzzles.

Puzzles Old and New

Fifty-two of the 400+ riddles in Professor Hoffmann's riddles Old and New are mechanical puzzles. Most of the famous problems that people in Victorian London enjoyed are described and solved in this illustrated compendium. Puzzle designers, collectors, and anyone wishing to make or learn how to solve puzzles would find it ideal.

Pro tip: Since some editions do not have all of the riddles from the original 1893 book, try to locate the rare Centenary Edition or a more recent reprint.

AP-ART – A Compendium of Puzzle Designs

Another great source of more than 400 mechanical puzzles with explanations, images, and building designs is Stewart T. Coffin's AP-ART: A Compendium of Puzzle Designs. It displays wooden geometric puzzles with symmetrical and non-symmetrical components, such as cubes, prisms, and other shapes.

The finest aspect? Many of these models are available (the author designed them himself), and you can create them by following Coffin's comprehensive instructions.

The 15 Puzzle: How It Drove the World Crazy

In 1880, the well-known 15 Puzzle began a global puzzle craze and has perplexed people ever since. In exploring the origins and enduring social effects of this seemingly intractable sliding mechanical conundrum, authors Jerry Slocum and Dic Sonneveld delve into its enigmatic realm.

Have you ever figured out the incredible 15 Puzzle? For some, it takes only a few seconds! You should, however, purchase a model and a copy of this book (which includes multiple arrangements and solutions) before watching online tutorial videos.

Try to solve the puzzle on your own by using your mental muscles. If you can master it that way, you'll feel more accomplished.

Puzzles 101: A Puzzlemaster's Challenge

The renowned puzzle master Nobuyuki Yoshigahara created numerous mechanical and mathematical puzzles and authored numerous books on the subject. The award-winning author's His Puzzles 101: A Puzzlemaster's Challenge is an excellent read, with several physical and visual puzzles and brainteasers.

The solutions are in a different area, which is the best part. That's ideal since if you can figure out the problems right away, what fun is that?

Puzzle Craft

Another captivating book by Stewart T. Coffin is Puzzle Craft, which has a lot of interlocking puzzles, such as geometric, burr, polyhedral, and mechanical ones. Puzzle fans can enjoy Coffin's 80 unique designs and other contemporary and vintage puzzles, making it a veritable gold mine.

The book is perfect for puzzle creators of all skill levels because it includes carpentry techniques.

Early Japanese Export Puzzles

With an emphasis on Japanese wooden interlocking puzzles, trick boxes, and puzzle banks, Jerry Slocum presents another book for fans of mechanical puzzles. Slocum and co-author Rik van Grol examine the histories and designs of several antique devices that the US imported from Japan during the 1860s and 1960s.

This brief but fascinating book, which includes superb images and graphics, is an excellent resource for anyone interested in learning about the history of Japanese Kumiki puzzles and other patterns.

Cubed: The Puzzle of Us All

In Cubed: The Puzzle of Us All, Ernő Rubik, the creator of the renowned Rubik's Cube, takes us closer to the innovative ideas that led to the creation of the most well-known mechanical puzzle ever. This intriguing book takes us down memory lane, allowing us to enter the author's inquisitive mind and be enchanted by his life of exploration and creativity.

The book does not cover the invention of the Cube and its solution well. However, investigating its past and ongoing cultural influence makes for an engaging read.

Puzzle Craft: How to Make Every Kind of Puzzle

Thomas Snyder, sometimes known as Dr. Sudoku, and puzzle designer Mike Selinker have compiled this comprehensive manual for making and solving problems. Throughout its 100 parts, it provides detailed instructions for solving puzzles involving logic, perception, words, interactive elements, mechanical elements, and more.

The book includes Sudoku, minesweeper, riddles, crosswords, hidden puzzles, escape rooms, geocaches, and mechanical brainteasers. It is the go-to resource for puzzle enthusiasts, giving them the skills they need to create any puzzle.

The Anchor Puzzle Book

With over 5,000 puzzle illustrations, including issue outlines and solutions, the Anchor Puzzle Book is ideal for Richter puzzle enthusiasts.

Jerry Slocum and Dieter Gebhardt, along with Jack Botermans, Harold Raizer, and Dic Sonneveld, among others, created this vast collection, which they dedicated to the renowned Nobuyuki Yoshigahara and his family.

The book traces the development of the Anchor Stone problem and its variants over a captivating 120-year period. Along with other Richter riddles, such as the first Chinese Tangram, 37 of those puzzles and their 650+ difficulties are included.

Compendium of Mechanical Puzzles From Catalogs

This reading list would be incomplete without Jerry Slocum's Compendium of Mechanical Puzzles From Catalogs. It is a great reference book for puzzle enthusiasts because it contains over 500 graphic puzzles published between 1785 and 1946.

It includes illustrations of sequential movement, dexterity, put-together, take-apart, interlocking, disentanglement, and other problems. One page includes contains several 20th-century boxed puzzle sets.

Although there aren't any comprehensive instructions or answers (which doesn't lessen the book's appeal), you will learn more about many old riddles.

Top Mechanical Puzzles You Should Try in 2025

Mechanical puzzles have advanced significantly from wooden boxes to polyhedral puzzles and other interlocking devices. These days, you can enjoy various shapes and materials, such as the popular 3D metal puzzles. 3D metal puzzles are ideal for unique gifts because they may even be customized.

Have you tried solving the Phantom? This 3D metal butterfly puzzle is excellent for mechanical puzzle aficionados with a taste for things cyberpunk. It takes 3.5 hours to assemble and may be a captivating addition to any desk or shelf.

Not a lover of science fiction? A 3D metal puzzle with a more lifelike butterfly is called Vivillon. Don't be fooled by its straightforward design; it features 125 complicated parts that make for an intriguing assembly. Additionally, it comes with three sets of magnetic wings that you can switch out to change the look of your butterfly.

Conclusion

You can experience an exhilarating journey as you handle the components of mechanical puzzles, whether old or new, to solve their riddles. They provide access to a fantastic world of creativity, complex design, art, exploration, and discovery.

As a prospective puzzle maker, solver, or collector, I believe the outstanding books above are a great place to start. They are also excellent sources of information for history buffs and inspiration for puzzle specialists. Thus, choose your favourite and embark on a remarkable journey.