גְבִיָה: Award-Winning Puzzles

Every year the world's mechanical puzzle designers send their newest work to the Nob Yoshigahara Puzzle Design Competition, held at the International Puzzle Party. A jury of designers and collectors solves everything, and the entrants vote. Only a handful of puzzles come away with anything.

These are the ones in this shop that did. Not "award-winning" in the way a label on a box means it. Each puzzle here was judged against the best new designs of its year and placed.

Where to start

Identical Twins by Osanori Yamamoto is the highest honour on the shelf: it won the Puzzlers' Award in 2017, voted by the designers themselves. Two pieces, one cube, and far more resistance than two pieces should offer.

Four Fit is a Stewart Coffin design from 2007 and the oldest winner here. Burr Bot is the most involved, and One Way or Another is the newest, placing in 2026.

What the awards mean

The Puzzlers' Award is voted by the competitors themselves, which makes it the one designers care about most. Top 10 Vote Getter means the puzzle finished in the ten most popular entries of its year. A Jury Honorable Mention is awarded by the judging panel for a design they thought stood out.

Best for

Collectors who want provenance behind a purchase rather than a shelf of unrelated puzzles. Gift buyers looking for something with a story attached. Solvers who have worked through the classics and want to see what the field thinks is genuinely new.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Nob Yoshigahara Puzzle Design Competition?

An annual competition held at the International Puzzle Party, named after the Japanese puzzle designer Nob Yoshigahara. Designers submit new mechanical puzzles, which are solved and judged by a jury and voted on by attendees.

Are these the original competition entries?

No. The competition entries are usually one-off pieces in wood, made by the designer or a specialist craftsman. These are 3D-printed productions of the same designs, made under licence so the design reaches more people at a workable price.

Does an award mean the puzzle is hard?

Not necessarily. The competition rewards originality of design, not difficulty. Several winners here are solvable in under an hour. What they share is an idea nobody had used before.

Which award is the most significant?

The Puzzlers' Award, because it is voted by the other designers in the competition. Identical Twins is the one puzzle in this shop that has won it.