Trigemino is a six piece interlocking puzzle designed by Sonja Heinz which is currently being made by Philos games. There are a number of places to get this puzzle, and I received mine from Puzzle Master.

The first of five solutions proposed for Trigemino

The goal of the puzzle is to disassemble and reassemble the geometric shape constructed from the six identical pieces. The puzzle comes shipped in a clear plastic box, already in the configuration shown above, and the box contains the solution for this shape, but also a challenge for four other geometric shapes which can be made from the pieces where no solutions are supplied.

Six identical pieces (if you don't count wood types)

The three pairs of pieces are made from Havea (the light wood), Samena (darker brown wood) and Black Palm which is the wonderful wood with leopard like spots on the end grain and stunning dark light contrast on the face grain. In case you hadn’t guessed I love the look of the Palm woods, and have some sitting at home waiting to be made into a nice puzzle. Anyway, I digress.

The original solution is a nice interlocking shape, which needs you to poke and prod the pieces until you find the one piece which will move, and from there take each piece out until you’re left with a pile of six pieces through a variety of lifts and slides of the pieces. Once the puzzle has been taken apart, there’s a good challenge to get them put back together again.

While it’s not the most difficult of this style of puzzle, rated 4/10 on the instructions, and 6/10 by Puzzle Master (whose scale remember starts at 5) it is a fun puzzle, and is very nicely made. The fit and finish of the pieces is very good, and the pieces are solidly made, so there’s no worry about them falling apart as you play with the puzzle.

Alternate solutions

Alternate solutions

Alternate solutions

Alternate solutions

As well as the original shape, the puzzle comes with an instruction sheet offering four more possible geometric shapes for you to make, which really extends the challenge of the puzzle. The alternates range from the Aztec like pattern on the top left which is probably the easiest to find, the double box like solution on the bottom right which is slightly more difficult, but at first look on the diagram seems impossible, and the linked configurations of which the bottom left is interlocking and probably the most challenging to create.

Overall, this is a great puzzle, both in terms of looks and challenge. Well worth picking up if you’re looking for another good wooden puzzle for your collection.