Intriguing New 3D Printed Puzzles and Games Released by Mike Le Page

This week we have the pleasure of announcing several new additions to Mike Le Page’s shapeways shop that will grab the attention of 3D print lovers and puzzle enthusiasts alike. You might remember Le Page’s Tetris Cube puzzle from an earlier article we published. You might also remember it if you are still stuck trying to find the solution as Le Page noted that the puzzle is rather complex.

Rather than leaving you in limbo if you can’t find the time to pursue the puzzle to its end, Le Page has created an alternative version which is a Tetris Cylinder puzzle that promises to be much more accessible to those with limited time or lower thresholds of frustration (I include myself firmly in the second category here). The cylinder version of the Tetris puzzle has 18 pieces instead of the cube’s 21 and offers some hints to its assembly in the color gradient that is printed on the exterior of each piece. Printed in full color sandstone, the cylinder provides something more akin to a 3D image based puzzle rather than a pure exercise in spatial reasoning and generally takes less than an hour to work through the first time.

The second intriguing release is a new game that also builds upon some of the work that Le Page has done in the past. The game, called Poker Lines, is played on the hexagonal cyvasse board, and advances like a combination of poker and scrabble. And lest there be any remaining misconception about 3D print lovers and gaming enthusiasts as to their interest in social interaction, this game can be played by two to six players, which is approximately the same number of people I could expect to attend any party I might throw. The pieces for Poker Lines are designed to represent the 52 cards in a standard deck of playing cards and do so by combining shape, color, and symbol so as to be easily readable.

Le Page has uploaded a video explaining the way in which the game is played but doesn’t expect his version to be the end of the board/piece creativity. In an interview with 3DPrint.com, he expressed his enthusiasm:

“I am really excited about this [card pieces set], as it really does make a whole new category of crossover games possible…Poker Lines gameplay is somewhere between Poker and Words with Friends, but as much as that makes for some interesting strategy, I must admit I’m almost more curious to see what other games people will come up with once they have a ‘standard deck’ of 52 pieces and a board in their hands. Time will tell.”

In an effort to support the creativity of these maverick game designers, Le Page decided to upload a hex tile to Thingiverse so that people can download it for free, print, and assemble a game board either of the size needed for the games he has designed or to continue tessellating to their own specifications. The sandstone board that he himself created can be somewhat costly and he has decided for the good of games, to offer this alternative free version as well.

I hesitate to mention any up and coming gift exchanging rituals that happen to occur between a great deal of overeating and the beginning of the next Gregorian cycle, but I can imagine that should there be people out there, of the sort who might cleverly envelop a token of their affection in a sheet of decorative material and then place it near the terrestrial portion of a coniferous holder of baubles and lights, who might find Le Page’s creations an appropriate expression of the reaffirmation of their mutual ties.

If you know what I mean.

Should we also mention that Shapeways is offering free shipping on all orders with code “FREESHIPNOV” good for only this week? If someone were to be interested in gift giving, they might find now a good time to start looking.

What are your thoughts on these games and Puzzles.  Let us know in the Mike Le Page forum thread on 3DPB.com.