"The Gold Skeleton Key is one of my favorite 3D printed puzzles to date.
It accomplished something very few of my previous puzzle designs has. I often leave puzzles out when non-puzzling friends come over, and the puzzles generally go untouched. They claim they are 'too difficult' or they just have no interest. I have been trying unsuccessfully for years to design a puzzle that these people would just want to try and not be 'scared' of messing up somehow. I also wanted that same design to appeal to those who do enjoy puzzling. So, how to come up with a puzzle that is both approachable to those new to puzzles and enjoyable for the puzzle aficionados. Enter the Gold Skeleton Key! This puzzle gets picked up by everyone who sees it. They have to move the key around and push the buttons. Some can solve it, others just like fiddling with it. The best part is that when some of them did solve it, they were so excited I thought I had made new converts to the puzzling world. Alas! They didn't want to try any of my other designs. Oh well."
Specifications
Designer
Andrew Crowell
Craftsman / Manufacturer
Andrew Crowell
Material
3-D printed
Unit of Measurement
Centimeters
Size
8 x 8 x 6
Grade
(A) Collector: Flaws must be very minor, subtle, and difficult to identify.
Cosmetic Issues
none
Function
(1) Perfect: Neither loose nor tight, no binding or alignment issues, moves smoothly.