The Cast G&G is a cast-metal puzzle from Hanayama’s Huzzle Cast series, created by South Korean designer Jin-Hoo Ahn. It is made up of two interlocked solid pieces, one with a gold finish and the other silver. At first sight it looks sturdy and simple, but it hides more subtlety than it lets on.

• BrandHanayama
• SeriesHuzzle Cast
• DesignerJin-Hoo Ahn
• MaterialCast metal
• SizeApprox. 6 × 4.2 × 2.5 cm
• DifficultyLevel 3 of 6 (Hanayama scale)

Design

Each piece has small protrusions on its faces, located at the corners. These bumps are what give the puzzle its character: they rule out many of the moves that seem obvious and force you to study the shape of each piece carefully before trying anything. It is a disentanglement puzzle: there are no catches or internal mechanisms, just the geometry of the two shapes.

Thanks to its weight and size it feels solid in the hand and fits in a pocket. The gold plating is more delicate than the silver, so it is best handled without forcing it.

What level it suits

Hanayama places it at level 3 on its scale of 1 to 6, a middle point. Some enthusiasts feel it is somewhat harder than that number suggests, so it suits those who have already solved a level 1 or 2 model and want to take the next step without yet jumping to the higher levels.