Cast ABC is one of the entry-level models in Hanayama’s Huzzle series. It is made up of the letters A, B and C in cast metal: the A and B form a single piece and the C is hooked onto them. The challenge is to free the C and then put it back in place.

• BrandHanayama
• SeriesHuzzle Cast (HZ 1-03)
• SupervisionNob Yoshigahara
• TypeDisentanglement puzzle
• MaterialCast metal
• DifficultyLevel 1 of 6 (Huzzle scale)

Origins

The design is based on a puzzle published in England in 1911. Hanayama added it to its catalogue in 1983 under the supervision of Nob Yoshigahara, one of Japan’s great popularisers of puzzles, and reissued it in 2018. Yoshigahara himself recommended it to anyone wanting to take their first steps with mechanical puzzles.

How it works

It is a disentanglement puzzle: there are no springs or catches, just two linked pieces that only come apart by following the right route. Although it sits at the lowest level of the scale, it pays to look before you move, because taking the wrong path leads to a dead end.

Skill level

Level 1, “Fun”, is the series’ entry point. A good fit for anyone who has never tried a Cast puzzle, for younger players or for anyone wanting a short challenge to keep close at hand.