Maker · the cabinet's people
Brian Young
Australian puzzle designer and maker behind "Mr Puzzle"
Brian Young is an Australian puzzle designer and craftsman who traded as "Mr Puzzle" out of Brisbane, Queensland. A puzzle collector since boyhood, he began selling under the Mr Puzzle name in 1993 and started designing his own puzzles in 1994, releasing an annual Limited Edition series that became sought-after by collectors worldwide. He ran the business as a two-person operation with his wife Sue until they retired, with their final day of trading on 21 December 2023.
Young is best known for hand-built wooden puzzles and, more recently, elaborate sequential-discovery puzzles, where solvers must find and use hidden tools in sequence to progress. His personal collection grew to roughly 5,000 pieces spanning historical dexterity puzzles, burr puzzles, puzzle boxes and metal sequential-discovery designs. Unusually for a modern maker, he is noted for inventing his designs in his head rather than relying on CAD software.
His standing in the puzzle world is reflected by his design of the inaugural trophy for the Nob Yoshigahara Puzzle Design Competition — a complex burr puzzle based on the International Puzzle Party (IPP) logo, complete with its own puzzling stand.
Style signature
Fiendishly difficult sequential-discovery and burr puzzles, hand-built almost entirely from rare Australasian timbers such as Queensland Blackbean and Queensland Silver Ash. His hardest releases are renowned for stumping experienced collectors for years.
Notable works
- SMS Box (sequential-discovery telephone puzzle, widely regarded as his hardest)
- Coming of Age Mk II (held the record for the most moves to remove the first piece of a commercially produced puzzle — 19 directional moves)
- Nob Yoshigahara Puzzle Design Competition inaugural trophy (IPP-logo burr puzzle)
- Abraham's Well (sequential-discovery puzzle)
- Brian's Big Baffling Bolt (BBBB)
In the cabinet
Pieces tied to Brian Young we're tracking right now.
Questions about Brian Young
Who is Brian Young (Mr Puzzle)?
Brian Young is an Australian puzzle designer and woodworker who traded as "Mr Puzzle" in Brisbane. He sold puzzles under that name from 1993 and designed his own from 1994, becoming internationally known for his annual Limited Edition sequential-discovery and burr puzzles before retiring in December 2023.
What is Brian Young best known for?
He is best known for extremely difficult sequential-discovery and burr puzzles hand-built from rare Australian timbers, and for designing the first trophy of the Nob Yoshigahara Puzzle Design Competition. His SMS Box is generally considered his hardest puzzle.
What materials does Brian Young use?
He works almost exclusively in Australasian timbers — often rare species no longer commercially available — including woods such as Queensland Blackbean and Queensland Silver Ash, frequently combined with metal mechanisms in his sequential-discovery puzzles.