This is very cool. Given that you make them with your own hands, I'll risk asking this, here, instead of querying the internet first: Are there puzzles analogous to meta-games, including things [like this](https://jdh.hamkins.org/the-rule-making-game/), but also emergent play like you see in massive multi-player open world games, etc.?
I can imagine there are some mechanical puzzles that have more than 1 solution. This would be a step along the road to a meta-game of some kind. Obviously, there are Legos and erector sets and such. But I'm wondering if there are things in between, just barely meta over the 1 solution puzzle box. They must exist. And I'm betting you could point me to it faster than I could find it by clicking around. On 4/4/26 10:31 AM, Dave Rossetti wrote:
Hi All, I’m new to the list via Tom Johnson who invited me to Friam coffee yesterday — thank you Tom — and I’ll introduce myself. I retired from a full and happy career in Silicon Valley, finishing up with many years at Cisco Systems developing software, hardware, and leading advanced technology and the Cisco Research Center. My LinkedIn profile is https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-rossetti-aa45222. I am a collector and maker of mechanical puzzles https://puzzleworld.org/PuzzleWorld/, collecting continuously since my grad school days in the 1970s and a core participant of the international puzzle community. So far my puzzles are always finely handcrafted in fine woods, analog style, and I’d be happy to share this with any of you who might be interested. Here’s a nice NYT article covering a recent International Puzzle Party in Houston, see: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/16/science/puzzle-party-slocum.html?unlocked_article_code=1.XFA.jdDK.fdcOgECR44kc&smid=url-share Right now I’m preparing to head off to Italy in a couple of months for this year’s annual IPP. I brought three of my puzzles to Friam yesterday including a copy of my puzzle for this year’s IPP Exchange, of which I have made 110 copies to exchange with the other participants, see below. Walnut tray with Wenge pieces.
-- ¡sıɹƎ ןıɐH ⊥ ɐןןǝdoɹ ǝ uǝןƃ ὅτε oi μὲν ἄλλοι κύνες τοὺς ἐχϑροὺς δάκνουσιν, ἐγὰ δὲ τοὺς φίλους, ἵνα σώσω.
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