Great Minds Aristotle's Number Puzzle Review
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This is a wooden number puzzle from Professor Puzzle named after Aristotle a Greek philosopher who lived more than 2000 years ago that consists of 19 hexagonal numbered pieces that are numbered 1 to 19. The hexagonal pieces all slot into a wooden base with the objective of the brain teaser being that when all the pieces are in place each row adds up to 38 in every direction with there being only one solution to it. It has 15 rows that go in every direction meaning horizontal and diagonal directions and each row can have 3 to 5 pieces in it.
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If the puzzle has a comparable then it would be with Sudoku as there are similar elements to that in this puzzle such as having a set number of numbers that you must fit into a grid with there being only one solution so naturally if you are good at Sudoku then those skills should translate over to help you solve this particular brain teaser although in Sudoku there is no adding up which gives this puzzle an additional challenge.
As this is a numbers challenge it would be ideal for a parent looking for a way that will improve their child's math level as the puzzle requires adding up a few numbers that are not particularly big numbers while being at the same time a fun toy to occupy them with. The puzzle will also involve remembering the numbers you have added up so is good for practising and possibly improving your memory which is a useful skill to have.
The puzzle is made of strong and durable wood meaning it should take quite a bit of punishment for instance if you were to drop it or try to bend the pieces it would likely withstand these examples within reason but I would not recommend doing this and the way you operate the puzzle means you are unlikely to put the pieces of it under any real force that would potentially break them so it should last a very long time if you take care of it properly.
The puzzle is meant to be laid on a large flat surface area when played with so isn't really ideal as a travellers puzzle as it has many small individual parts that could get potentially lost so this is one for the home to be used on the dining room table for example where you will be better able to keep track of its pieces. You will need both of your hands to lift all of it up as it is quite large but it also very light as well so it isn't difficult to carry but if you are looking to store it then it will take up not much room and would suggest finding a container with a sealable lid for it in order not to lose the pieces.
The puzzle is quite pleasing to the eye due to its shape and honeycomb design that has been well crafted with numbers in bold dark lettering and could be displayed on a shelf for instance if you wanted to show it off without it being an eyesore and it would be readily available to you whenever you felt like having a play with it. The individual hexagonal pieces are quite small and therefore not really suitable for small children as they could potentially be swallowed.
The pieces slot into the board nicely without them becoming jammed and can be pulled out easily as the individual pieces are raised from the board they are inserted into it so you can get a purchase on them with your fingers when taking them out of the board. There is a little wiggle room to stop the pieces from becoming stuck and are also hexagonal in shape and as hexagons have many sides it makes them easy to grab a hold of so they won't likely slip out of your hands. If you are having trouble getting them out then you could tip the puzzle over just ensure there is enough space surrounding the puzzle so when the pieces scatter you won't lose them.
This wooden brain teaser is a singleplayer challenge but if you wanted to involve a friend or member of your family then they could either help you complete it or if you have already completed it then you could see if somebody else you know could do it faster than you did which would bring a competitive element to it.
The negative for this puzzle is the replayability as there is only one challenge set for the user and there doesn't seem to be any extra challenges you can set yourself to get further use out of it once you have completed the challenge except maybe for an adult to use it as a device to help teach kids about maths. This may be a good one to come back to after a long time when you have forgotten the solution to see if you could do it again but in a faster time with fewer mistakes.
This is a numbers challenge that is quite difficult and would give this an intermediate level of difficulty that is more challenging than it seems. This is because there is only one solution so if you get one number piece wrong then the whole solution is wrong and you will also have to constantly be adding, admittedly, small numbers up and remembering them, although you could note them down if you want to make it easier for yourself, as you will be constantly changing the pieces to find the right solution. However, if you are good with numbers this should be relatively straightforward to solve as you only have to add up a maximum of 5 numbers at a time.
In conclusion, this puzzle has a unique honeycomb design which makes it attractive to look at and will present the user with a decent number challenge which comes in a physical form that shouldn't take that much time to solve for someone who is good with numbers but is quite fun to play with and will potentially help to develop the numeracy and memory skills of the user but the big negative is that once solved it doesn't have replayability unless the solution is forgotten.
