6 Piece Puzzles

Six pieces is the classic count. The 6-piece burr, the wooden cross most people have met at least once, has six notched sticks, and so do many of the puzzles that grew out of it.

Where to start

The 6-Piece Star is rated Easy, and the 6-Piece Cross is the classic burr, rated Medium. If you get stuck, there are step-by-step guides for both: how to solve the 6-piece burr and how to solve the 6-piece star.

From there it gets serious. Alpacka 1, Alpacka 2, Toplun and Conga Line are packing puzzles rated Hard. 6N, A6L and Shutout are hide-the-holes puzzles rated Expert.

Then there are the separated board burrs by Frans de Vreugd, six flat boards instead of sticks: ZigZag is rated Hard, and Torture and Extreme Torture are rated Expert. More in burr puzzles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 6 piece puzzle?

Usually a 6-piece burr: six notched sticks that lock together into a cross or star with no glue or hidden mechanism. In this collection the name also covers six-piece packing puzzles, board burrs and turning interlocking cubes.

How do you solve a 6 piece burr puzzle?

Find the key piece, the one that slides out first, then take the rest apart in order and note how each piece sits. Reassembly is the reverse. Our 6-piece burr guide walks through it step by step.

What does 6+1 mean?

Six pieces plus a box, frame or tray. The extra part is not something you assemble, it is the space the pieces have to fit into, and it is usually what makes the puzzle hard.