Monkey Pod Games Blog

A fun variation on the traditional pentominoe game

We love puzzles and that is why we are in this business. So we feel it is our duty to bring recognition to those who love playing our games but also those who have made our passion possible. That is why today we are recognizing the great Solomon Golomb.

Almost everyone today knows the game of tetris. However today we are focusing on the man who created the original version! Solomon Golomb was born in 1932 and has spent his life as a dedicated mathematician and engineer. Although today he works as a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Southern California, his claim to fame is coining the term “pentaminoes” and his conception of the game that sprung from this mathematical concept.

Golomb graduated with a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and then went on to receive both an M.A. and a PhD from Harvard University in mathematics. He then went on to have an illustrious career in science and helped to invent many items used today in industrial and military sectors. Over the years he became especially interested in communications and worked on subjects such as our cell phone technology which wouldn’t be as advanced today as they are if it were not for him.

He has also won many prestigious awards including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Richard W. Hammer Medal, in 2000, for his priceless contributions to the sciences in this field.

Today he is still making the puzzles we love and publishes them on various sites and magazines while continuing to teach a new generation to walk in his footsteps.

We know Golomb has contributed to science in ways we could never fully understand. However we can appreciate his contribution to the puzzles we love so much.

Pentominoes have kept us entertained and busy for a long time now. Our favorite is the ‘Chess Pentimino Set”. In this version, two people can play against each other. We love puzzles that challenge our minds but there is nothing like good fun and competition among friends. Sketched on the front cover of the puzzle is the layout of a chess board where you can take on your friends trying to put the most pieces on the board while blocking their moves. This game is a much different variation of the original pentomino game but its still just as fun.

This is our favorite version but we would love to hear which one is yours or to read your opinions on the subject matter.

Click here to order your very own Pento Chess puzzle

Are you tired of using the same old gift-wrap? Looking for a new, exciting way to wrap your gifts, instead of using the same shiny bags and greeting cards?

This holiday season, put away that boring old wrapping paper, and place your gift inside the Magic Box! With no handles, holes, hinges, or hooks, the Magic Box appears to be impossible to open. Your friends and family will have to solve this brain teaser puzzle if they want to retrieve their present!

The Magic Box is beautifully constructed from 18 different wooden pieces and makes for the perfect gift-within-a-gift. Plus, the gift-giver gets to watch in amusement as the recipient attempts to pry open the tricky box.

The Magic Box can hold small gifts, like jewelry, cash, or gift cards, and is sure to add spice to your traditional holiday gift-giving routine!

This week, the spotlight is on two of our most difficult wooden disentanglement brain teaser puzzles: Mouse of the Rings and the Trapped Mouse.
In each puzzle, a wooden mouse is attached (via a string) to a tricky contraption. In the Mouse of the Rings, the contraption is a series of four rings; in the Trapped Mouse,  it’s a complex wooden structure. The not-so-easy objective of these disentanglement puzzles is to free the string from the puzzle and release the mouse! These wooden brain teasers are sure to challenge even the most clever of puzzlers.

Once you’ve succeeded, try and re-trap the mouse by maneuvering the string back onto the puzzle—not an easy feat!

Welcome to the Monkey Pod Games blog!
Monkey Pod Games sells quality wooden puzzles and brain teaser puzzles, offering everything from beautifully crafted wooden toys and brainteasers to 3D puzzles and family games.

We’ve launched this blog to keep you updated about sales and special offers on our wooden toys and brain games, as well as to share with you the history behind each of our puzzles.

As always, feel free to send us an email with your comments and suggestions—we’d love to hear from you! Visit us @ MonkeyPodGames.com